Brew Hoop Community Draft Board - Pick #17

The number 16 spot on Brew Hoop's 2015 Draft Board goes to Bobby Portis, a 6'11" power forward from Arkansas. Portis locked up the vote late in our polling process, beating out fellow big men Kevon Looney and Trey Lyles.

With good size, length, and strength, Portis is an imposing figure in the post. He has quick feet in the half court and can run the floor in transition, and makes up for limited athleticism (he's typically described as a "below the rim" player) by playing with high energy and tenacity. After a strong freshman season, Portis showed significant improvement as a sophomore, improving on an already high efficiency while increasing his share of the offensive load, improving his rebounding rate, and cutting down on his turnover rate (11th-lowest among DX Top-100 players). With per-game averages of 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds, Portis captured the SEC Player of the Year award.

Portis' best quality may be his high-running motor, which translates into terrific production in a few spots. He's a tremendous offensive rebounder and a surprisingly good closeout defender, capable of recovering to shooters and staying with opponents off the dribble. Portis is also a capable jump shooter, though his release is a bit unorthodox and he hasn't yet established consistent range out to the three-point line.

Portis' lack of explosiveness is likely the biggest concern, along with a somewhat limited offensive skill set. While he can make plays in the pick and roll and as a mid-range shooter, much of his scoring comes from cleaning up other players' misses, and his ability to beat athletic defenders in the paint is curtailed by his below-the-rim style. He's also a bit of a ball-stopper, with a tendency to kill possessions with tough shots instead of passing out of bad spots. Somewhat surprisingly, Portis' numbers are also a bit lacking on the defensive glass, where he doesn't always show great box-out discipline and sometimes gets simply out-jumped for rebounds.

We've now reached the Bucks' designated draft slot, pick #17. The final vote is here! Look for the wrap-up post of our 2015 Draft Board series on Wednesday, along with lots of other draft-centric coverage this week as we all get ready for Thursday's main event.

Brew Hoop Draft Board 2015

1. Karl-Anthony Towns - PF/C, Kentucky, Freshman - DraftExpress Profile
2. Jahlil Okafor - C, Duke, Freshman - DraftExpress Profile
3. D'Angelo Russell - G, Ohio State, Freshman - DraftExpress Profile
4. Emmanuel Mudiay - PG, International - DraftExpress Profile
5. Justise Winslow - SF, Duke, Freshman - DraftExpress Profile
6. Mario Hezonja - G/F, International - DraftExpress Profile
7. Willie Cauley-Stein - C, Kentucky, Junior - DraftExpress Profile
8. Kristaps Porzingis - PF, International - DraftExpress Profile
9. Stanley Johnson - SF, Arizona, Freshman - DraftExpress Profile
10. Frank Kaminsky - PF/C, Wisconsin, Senior - DraftExpress Profile
11. Myles Turner - C, Texas, Freshman - DraftExpress Profile
12. Kelly Oubre - SF, Kansas, Freshman - DraftExpress Profile
13. Devin Booker - SG, Kentucky, Freshman - DraftExpress Profile
14. Cameron Payne - PG, Murray State, Sophomore - DraftExpress Profile
15. Sam Dekker - F, Wisconsin, Junior - DraftExpress Profile
16. Bobby Portis - PF, Arkansas, Sophomore - DraftExpress Profile