July 15--After his 23-point, seven-rebound summer league debut in which he outplayed No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns, Bobby Portis said he played OK.
After his second contest, in which he missed 9 of 10 shots, Portis said he played well.
No, the Bulls didn't draft a delusional player at No. 22. Portis, who finished with nine points and 10 rebounds as the Bulls blew a late lead to fall 87-86 to the Nets on Tuesday, just uses a different grading scale than some players.
"See if I give 110 percent. That's how I judge if I played well," Portis said. "If I'm out there being that energy guy the team needs, I don't harp on making or missing shots. I do some of the intangibles to try to make my team win. If we win, it's not about box scores."
Of course, the Bulls lost on Sunday as Portis shot 1-for-10, so there is that. But the fact Portis didn't let Sunday's struggles affect him suggests a developing maturity not always present for the emotional big man.
In interviews shortly after the draft, Kings assistant coach Corliss Williamson, a mentor to Portis from their shared Arkansas roots, said Portis sometimes used to break into tears after AAU practices because of his intense desire to play well. Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said Portis sometimes used to play recklessly as a freshman because of the same emotional wellspring.
Given that Portis earned SEC Player of the Year honors his sophomore season, something obviously clicked.
"As a freshman, I let things affect me a lot," Portis said. "I had to mature a little bit, grow up to not think about those bad games I had. Now I try to channel that into being more consistent on a daily basis."
It's a practice Portis said he plans to continue at the next level.
Portis has met Taj Gibson, with whom he shares an agent. He's looking forward to learning from veterans like Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah. He answers affirmatively when asked if he can learn and contribute next season even if he doesn't crack the rotation because he plans to treat practices like games.
That his work ethic doesn't seem to be affected by missed shots or rotational turns should bode well for the Bulls.
"This is the NBA. It's a long season," he said. "You have to midnight and then the game is over. You have to think about it that way. I'm not a guy who harps on if he has a bad game. I just try to look at some of the things I did poorly and try to come back the next game and correct them."
Mission accomplished Tuesday.
"You can tell he's comfortable on the perimeter and the post," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "He's not afraid to bang down there. Any time you can stretch the floor and you have a 6-10 guy who can draw the big away from the basket and knock down shots, that's huge."
Doug McDermott led the Bulls, who officially announced the free-agent signings of Mike Dunleavy and Aaron Brooks, with 19 points but missed a game-winning attempt at the buzzer.
kcjohnson@tribpub.com
