Bucks News: Doc Rivers Calls Out Kevin Porter Jr Over Excessive Turnovers

The Bucks coach was not pleased with what Kevin Porter Jr. is doing with the ball.

Feb 23, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) dribbles the ball under pressure from Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) during the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks have lost three of their last four games. They did have a five-game winning streak prior to this stretch of poor play.

Milwaukee has been getting some good minutes from their bench. They made a trade at the trade deadline in order to acquire Kevin Porter Jr.

Porter Jr. was brought in to help lead the bench unit. As the point guard, he is someone who can score the ball well and also set his teammates up for success.

The Bucks have gotten some good games for Porter Jr. since coming to Milwaukee, but not everything has been rosy with him.

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Doc Rivers knows that Porter Jr. has already turned into a key player off the bench, but he is looking for him to take care of the ball more. In fact, he demands it.

Rivers called out Porter Jr. for turning the ball over too much following the win against the Lakers.

“That’s non-negotiable,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Especially late in the season, you just can’t turn the ball over. He knows that, but he’s still doing it right now. But we still want him to be aggressive.”

Porter Jr. has had at least two turnovers in each of the last nine games. Rivers knows that's not something that's sustainable, especially with Porter Jr. only playing about 16 minutes per game off the bench.

The Bucks have to make sure that they are able to take care of the basketball when Damian Lillard is resting on the bench. That duty falls to Porter Jr.

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If Porter Jr. doesn't clean up the turnovers, he could see even less playing time moving forward. Rivers is not afraid to change up the lineup.

The Bucks are in a battle for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. They are in a tie for that spot with the Indiana Pacers. Every game from here on out is critical.

Since joining the Bucks, Porter Jr. is averaging 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.

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