Young guard Kevin Porter Jr. needed less than 10 minutes to show why Milwaukee Bucks valued him so highly entering this season. He opened the season on Oct. 22 with 10 points, a poster dunk, two assists and a steal in 9 minutes and 25 seconds against the Washington Wizards. Then one defensive slide changed everything. Porter stepped on the foot of teammate Bobby Portis Jr., rolled his left ankle, and limped straight to the locker room.
The initial setback stung. âAll the work that carries into that very first game, then to not be able to finish, that sucked,â Porter said. âBut I knew my guys would hold it down⦠while Iâm gone and rehabbing.â
The ankle healed quickly. What followed eight days later did far more damage.
The Meniscus Tear That Changed His Season
During a full-contact workout designed to clear him for a return, Porter tore the meniscus in his right knee. He didnât even notice it at first. Only later did he feel pain and see a bump sticking out of his knee. âThat definitely was a bummer,â he said.
The injury forced him into his first-ever surgery, something that triggered real anxiety. âJust instinctively, Iâm like aw, man, surgery doesnât sound too good,â Porter said. âBut talked to the doc⦠I had a very easyâas the docs would say, a âvery easy surgery.ââ
He had the procedure done on Nov. 3. Two weeks later, he still remembered the shock of waking up unable to walk. âThis is my first surgery ever,â he said. âI was on crutches for the first time, so of course, Iâm human, so my energy is going to be a little low.â
As soon as he started moving again, his mood shifted. Normal routinesâwalking, sleeping comfortably, trainingâgave him a lift. âBeing back, being able to walk, being able to sleep regular, just live by my daily routines again is definitely uplifting,â Porter said.
Ramping Up and Rebuilding Rhythm
Porter has now reached the stage where movement work dominates his sessions. âJust stationary shots, moving shots,â he said. âToday was the best day, I would say, as far as movement and cardio and things like that⦠Iâm trying to get my body back active.â
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has monitored each step closely. He believes Porter is âright on trackâ for Milwaukeeâs early-December goal. âHe looks good. He ran skeleton today and he looked good,â Rivers said on Wednesday.
Rivers also pointed to Porterâs renewed energy after returning to the court. It matters, especially because the team has felt his absence. âIf you circle the guysâlike, you donât want anyone getting injuredâbut you have to circle obviously Giannis and then second one probably would’ve been (Porter) because of what he means to us on both ends of the floor,â Rivers said.
Without him, the Bucks leaned heavily on Ryan Rollins and Cole Anthony. Rivers didnât hide the toll. âYou can see the minutes and intensity ramping up⦠and itâs hurting âem,â he said.
Why Milwaukee Needs Him Back
Porter Jr. arrived in Milwaukee last season and immediately boosted the second unit. After the trade deadline, he averaged 11.7 points on 40.8% from three. When Damian Lillard missed time late in the year, Porter stepped into a bigger roleâ15.3 points, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals over his final 12 games.
The Bucks signed him to a new two-year, $10.5 million contract because they believed that version of Porter could stabilize their bench and give them a dynamic scorer behind Lillard.
He still expects to deliver on that. Porter Jr. refuses to dwell on the timing or bad luck. âI just have to count my blessings,â he said. âItâs a blessing in disguise that Iâm able to come back from the surgery⦠I just count the blessings, man.â
Early December now sits within reach. If Milwaukee gets him back on time, the Bucks regain a downhill threat, a secondary creator, and one of their best backcourt defendersâall at once.
And Porter gets his season back.
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