Milwaukee, WI

Nickel: There’s a lot to appreciate about Bobby Portis this season, including how he reworked his jump shot

Published

2 years ago

April 18, 2024

Nickel: There’s a lot to appreciate about Bobby Portis this season, including how he reworked his jump shot

There’s a lot to appreciate about Bobby Portis this year, and 82 things to appreciate about him this week. But there’s one thing that maybe has been overlooked a little bit this whole time he’s been in Milwaukee: his shot.

The 6-foot-10 power forward actually changed it a lot, with the help of someone he affectionally call an “OG.” Marcus McCarroll, who first met Portis almost 20 years ago, has two winter coats. One for his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, and another for Milwaukee.

“The Arkansas one doesn’t work well enough in Milwaukee,” McCarroll said with a laugh.

In February during the all-star break, Portis didn’t rest – though he had every reason to. Instead, he met up with McCarroll, his longtime friend, mentor, fitness trainer and former youth coach. McCarroll came to Wisconsin to work with Portis, taking advantage of the down time by putting in the extra work, even if it meant sneaking out to the gym late at night after rest.

Bobby Portis played in every game this season

And that work is partly why, for the first time in his career, Portis played in all 82 regular-season games this season.

“It’s been cool, man, just to be available for my team,” Portis said after practice early this week. “Knowing that I’m going to be out there, ready to go.”

During the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season with the New York Knicks, Portis played all 66 games, but this year really stood out. For a Bucks team riddled with injured players, Portis was reliable, always there, always ready to contribute.

As the Bucks spent Tuesday and Wednesday preparing for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against Indiana on Sunday, they were without injured Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. So coach Doc Rivers focused on two scorers and playmakers, Khris Middleton and Portis.

More: Game times, schedule set for Bucks vs Pacers in first round of 2024 NBA playoffs

And Portis, who averaged 24.5 minutes per game, embraced the opportunity. He’s ready for the postseason. He credits the Bucks training staff, his work ethic and playing with Team USA in the national basketball program last summer as his reasons for playing in peak form all year.

“I’ve been hoopin’ since July,” Portis said, “you feel me; I’ve been hoopin’ for a minute. Came into training camp already ready to roll. I was in the best shape of my career. And I think it kind of showed throughout the season.

“You know I play hard, so … to play with energy every night. It was great.”

Putting in the work to improve his shot

But McCarroll emphasizes that Portis’ work journey goes way back before then, back to when he started strength training at age 15 seriously.

The best way to tell Portis’ progress, especially offensively, is in his shot. Portis used to sometimes put the ball almost over his head – in his college days, his early days as a pro and even when he got to the Bucks for his first season in 2020.

Now, Portis’ shot is pretty, whether coming from the post or outside. He’s shooting 40.7% on three-pointers and 54.5% on twos. Remember when he said he used to work on that baby sky hook to exhaustion until he hated it? Well it’s part of his shooting arsenal now.

“It was like a reverse process for us,” McCarroll said. “We had a trial and error, we were trying to understand the shot before, instead of studying the shot and trying to tweak it. We did it backwards, but I like it now.”

All that work took years.

“Absolutely had to tweak his shot just a little bit,” McCarroll said this week in a phone call. “He had the on-top-of the head release. And it wasn’t so much about his accuracy, but he would let it go at different points a lot of times, or he wouldn’t have his hips under the ball. So the timing mechanism was off a little bit.”

Portis and McCarroll sought outside help and opinions. They tried a lot of different things.

“We really focused on that that year that we came into Milwaukee to work on our shot,” McCarroll said. “It took years to get to that point where we could go in and change a shot, you know. I tell kids it’s hours and hours you got to put into it to make it feel natural and be able to do it repetitive times over and over and over and over and over again.”

Portis also does a good job of bending his knees with that shot, especially when he’s open.

“It’s more of a balance thing – I try to make sure that I’m on balance best as I can,” Portis said. “Shooting is all about form and balance, not leaning to the left or right.

“Nine years ago when I come into the league, it was kind of funky. I was bringing it over my head to shoot. … My form is way different.”

Nickel: Cool, calm and collected, Bucks coach Doc Rivers adapts to a practice without Giannis and Damian Lillard

Rivers, who has openly coached Portis from Day 1, it seems, on how he wants him to approach his shooting against various defenses – and not rushing – also seems impressed by Portis. He said he always thought highly of him, but coaches and players form opinions about others in the league, and those opinions could be misguided at times.

“It’s an example of you don’t know a guy until you play with him or coach him. I knew he could shoot; I didn’t know he could shoot, you know what I mean?” Rivers said.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award

As for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award, Portis will probably get a lot of votes again this year. Will it be enough to finally win it? That’s unclear.

“I’m cool with who I am and I impact winning at the highest level,” he said.

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Milwaukee, WI

5 takeaways: Horrific second half spells doom for Celtics in Milwaukee

Published

11 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

5 takeaways: Horrific second half spells doom for Celtics in Milwaukee

The Celtics have been on a heater recently, and midway through the second quarter against the Bucks on Thursday, it appeared they were going to cruise to a sixth straight win.

That all changed rather quickly as Boston would go on to miss 16 straight threes, losing in rather embarrassing fashion to a Milwaukee team without Giannis Antetokounmpo and who had lost 10 of its last 12.

Here are five takeaways from the loss…

Staying hot

As mentioned above, it wasn’t a night where Boston just didn’t have it — it was actually quite the opposite. The Celtics connected on 10 of their first 17 threes, with Jordan Walsh and Payton Pritchard each hitting a pair to build a 21-8 lead.

Midway through the second quarter, Boston was shooting 56% from the floor and 53% from deep, going up by as many as 14 in the quarter.

That all came crashing down in the blink of an eye.

Walsh’s efficient run continues

Walsh was once again why Boston was finding success on both ends of the floor against the Bucks in the first half.

The 21-year-old forward was perfect from the floor in the first half, connecting on all seven of his shots — including three triples — to score 18. Walsh also snagged three steals as his defensive energy continued to shine.

At the half, Walsh was 27-for-32 in his last five games, good for 82% from the floor. Like the rest of the Celtics, Walsh didn’t do much in the second half, finishing with 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting, but his offensive effectiveness continues to be impressive given where he was even two months ago.

Can’t hold a lead

The Celtics held a double digit lead on three separate occasions on Thursday night, and all three times that lead evaporated in just minutes.

When you have a team like Milwaukee, who have lost 10 of its last 12 and appear to be on the verge of losing one of the best players in the NBA, it isn’t hard to knock them out rather quickly. But each time the Celtics went up, they let go of the rope just enough to give the Bucks — and their half empty arena — some life.

A big part of that was Kyle Kuzma exploding for a season high 31 points. The journeyman forward went toe-to-toe with Jaylen Brown all night, getting the better of the superstar on multiple occasions.

Once that third double-digit lead shrank to nothing, Boston didn’t have enough to muster another one.

Brutal shooting

As is often the story with Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics, once the threes stop going in, the ship usually starts sinking.

That’s exactly what happened in the second half on Thursday night.

Boston missed 16 straight triples, which is good for the fourth longest streak in franchise history. During that cold streak the Bucks went on a 27-8 run en route to blowing out the Celtics.

The worst shooting offender of all was probably Sam Hauser, who missed all 10 of his attempts, seven of those coming from beyond the arc.

After scoring 67 points in the first half, Boston only put up 34 in the second half.

Bobby Portis goes nuclear

When you combine horrific shooting with 30-year-old Bobby Portis pouring in 27 points off the bench, it probably isn’t going to end well for you. Portis scored 18 in the second half, with two corner threes to open the fourth basically being the dagger for the Bucks.

The forward also wasn’t afraid to go after it with Brown, even drawing a technical foul after getting a little too close for comfort.

Portis also grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double.

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Milwaukee, WI

Brewers to sign outfielder Akil Baddoo to major league deal

Published

23 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Brewers to sign outfielder Akil Baddoo to major league deal

The Brewers have made their first major league move in the 2026 free agent market.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Brewers are signing outfielder Akil Baddoo to a major league deal. The major league nature of the deal is somewhat of a surprise, given that Baddoo spent almost all of last season in the minors.

Baddoo, 27, was a Twins second-round pick out of high school in 2016 and moved to Detroit in the December 2020 Rule 5 draft. That first season in Detroit went quite well: in 124 games, Baddoo hit .259/.330/.436 with 20 doubles, seven triples, 13 homers, and 18 stolen bases, which earned him 2.1 bWAR. But his bat has not reached those levels since, and in parts of four seasons since 2021, Baddoo has hit just .201/.288/.323 in 682 plate appearances. He spent most of the 2025 season at Triple-A Toledo, where he had good numbers: he hit .281/.385/.483 with 15 home runs, 21 doubles, six triples, and 25 stolen bases in 29 tries.

In the field, Baddoo is primarily a left fielder but has played some in center and a little bit in right. Defensive metrics have graded him as about an average outfielder, but those samples are not large.

Milwaukee had one open spot on their 40-man roster, which Baddoo will presumably take.

It’s an interesting move. The Brewers could use an upgrade in the outfield, but their depth isn’t bad; between Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, Blake Perkins, Isaac Collins, Garrett Mitchell, and (sort of) Christian Yelich, the Brewers have several viable major-league options. Brandon Lockridge is also in the mix as a player at the line between Triple-A and the majors. Baddoo does not project to be much of an upgrade, and instead will slot in for more depth, but MLB at-bats might be hard to come by.

In unrelated free agent news of some interest to Milwaukee fans that broke about the same time, former Brewer Hoby Milner has signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, where he’ll reunite with his former Brewers manager.

Update: According to Curt Hogg, the Brewers have also added outfielder Greg Jones on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Jones will be 28 in March and has appeared briefly in the majors over the past two seasons with the Rockies and White Sox. He was a fairly highly regarded prospect several years ago, appearing at #91 on Jonathan Mayo’s Top 100 prospect list prior to the 2022 season. He is likely to be merely added depth for the Brewers’ Triple-A squad.

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Milwaukee, WI

Hidden ‘Treasure Island:’ Wisconsin demolition exposes shuttered store

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Hidden ‘Treasure Island:’ Wisconsin demolition exposes shuttered store

BROWN DEER, Wis. – Take a look in any direction around the FOX6 TV station, and it is clear Brown Deer is growing. The village is amidst multiple major developments that will soon bring new apartments, shopping, and restaurants to Milwaukee’s North Shore. No project is bigger than what’s being called Riverside Landing.

A hidden treasure

What we know:

“All told, it’s going to be probably a four-year build-out,” said Brown Deer’s development director Nate Piotrowski. “It’s such a huge piece of land at really the gateway to Brown Deer.”

As crews demolish what was once here, something unexpected happened.

Demolition of Treasure Island store, Brown Deer

“I said to my husband, ‘Oh my God, I have to stop and get a picture of that,’” said Lynn Hunsicker.

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“And I thought, I haven’t thought of that place in years,” added Cynthia Taylor-Gray.

As an old facade is revealed by the construction of the development, memories have come flooding out.

Demolition of Treasure Island store, Brown Deer

“It never occurred to me the old Treasure Island roof would still be intact under there,” said Karen Spinti.

Treasure Island revealed

Dig deeper:

Discount store Treasure Island opened in the early 1960s. First in Appleton, and then in the exploding suburbs around Milwaukee.

“They had everything from hardware to underwear,” explained Cynthia Taylor-Gray.

Treasure Island won awards for its design. This picture was included in the August 1963 edition of Wisconsin Architect Magazine. Photos provided by Wollin Studios

Taylor-Gray said despite not being in one in decades, her memory has been jogged.

“It felt like acres, just acres of retail merchandise,” added Karen Spinti.

Sprinti recalled getting dither when she dove into the clothes as a child.

Treasure Island in 1963 as seen in Wisconsin Architect

“I remember having to go to the bathroom urgently and not being able to find my mom,” said Spinti.

The Madison Location of Treasure Island as seen in 1963 Wisconsin Architect Magazine

For Lynn Hunsicker, her senses have returned.

“I really remember the smell when you first walked in because it had popcorn and hot dogs,” recalled Hunsicker.

Treasure Island locations included full snack bars located at the front of the store. Picture appeared in 1963 Wisconsin Architect

It’s all coming back, as the store’s old look is revealed again.

But for all the clothes and tools and food for sale, there was nothing more recognizable than what was on top.

“Shop under the squiggly roof,” said Hunsicker with a smile.

Designing The Squiggly Roof

Designing the Squiggly Roof:

The squiggly roof isn’t just bringing back memories for shoppers.

“Frustrating for an 8-year-old, let me tell you. I spent a lot of time in the book section,” said architect Jim Shields.

Shields’ memory is different than most. His parents didn’t just drag him to the retailer, his dad’s employer designed it.

The Milwaukee architecture firm led by Jordan Miller and George Waltz, where Shields’ dad worked as a structural engineer, had a number of high profile projects.

Key players

George Waltz graduated from Yale before starting the firm with Jordan Miller.

From Milwaukee’s airport terminal to the downtown post office, it was the firm’s decision to go with an untraditional wavy roof for a retailer that may go down as their biggest hit.

“It’s called folded plate concrete. Normally, concrete is envisioned as a flat slab, or a plate. But in this circumstance, they could fold it up and down. And that gave it long-span capability,” explained Shields.

Courtesy: Dekalb Historyv Center

Branded as the squiggly roof, the design allowed Treasure Island’s massive stores to have fewer beams leading to a wide open floor space. The shape is so unmistakable, the roof was seen in nearly every ad.

“All under the squiggly roof. That was their trademark,” said Merissa Howard with the Dakalb History Center near Atlanta, Georgia.

Courtesy: Dekalb History Center

Howard said that Milwaukee design was soon being exported to her neck of the woods.

“They were absolutely massive. They were over 200,000 square feet, which to put into perspective, is bigger than a Costco,” said Howard.

Courtesy: Dekalb History Center

Known as the Treasury in some states, by the late 1970s, the retailer started to struggle through a recession.

“They were too big. There’s too much competition,” said Howard.

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By the 1980s, Treasure Island’s run was over. The stores closed, and new retailers moved in. Those famous squiggly roofs went away.

They’ve been there all along

Dig deeper:

But if you look close enough you’ll realize those roofs never actually disappeared. Have you ever been behind a former Treasure Island location? It’s worth a peek.

“They had a roof put over the top of it to keep it from leaking. So it was really hidden away,” said Jim Shields.

Shields said most of the locations weren’t destroyed, they were simply retrofitted. The squiggly roofs were hidden under new flat roofs placed on top.

From Appleton to West Allis and Brookfield, a peek behind the buildings revealed the squiggly roofs have been there all along.