Ryan Rollins’ Breakout Season Is Turning Heads in Milwaukee

The biggest improvement has to be his scoring. Some will say his scoring obviously increased because his usage and shot attempts went up. While that is true, he has also become a smarter player. He’s more controlled, more confident, and he knows where his shots are coming from.

His three-point shooting ability has been huge. When you’re hitting 40% on real volume, defenses have no choice but to respect you. That’s opened up his entire game. Another key area of improvement has been his playmaking.

Doc Rivers even said it himself: Rollins is seeing the game better, and you can tell. He’s making quicker reads, finding guys, and not forcing things as much. That jump to 5.6 assists isn’t random.

And then there’s the defense.

He’s not just scoring, he’s competing on the other end, too. He’s starting to look like a legit two-way guard. He has active hands and great instincts, and that showed as he averaged 1.5 steals per game.

There are moments where he honestly gives off young Jrue Holiday vibes. Not saying he’s there yet, but you can see the blueprint.

What He Needs to Work On

Rollins is far from a finished product but he has taken a big step. One area he can improve in is on the defensive side. He plays physically and sometimes gets into early foul trouble. He gets a little too aggressive defensively sometimes, and it costs him. If he wants to stay on the floor more and take on a bigger role, that has to get cleaned up.

Now that teams actually care about him, now that he’s on scouting reports, the next step is proving this wasn’t just a one-year jump. Can he handle more attention, and can he stay efficient?

What’s Next

Rollins looks like a legitimate rotational player and might actually be a part of the Bucks future. If this leap was real and sustainable, the Bucks may have found a legit starting guard on a very friendly contract.

As he continues to develop, his usage should go up and he will have more responsibility with the ball in his hands.

Rollins went from an unproven player to one who is proving he can actually be a starting guard in the NBA. Finding a player like this internally is a huge win for the Bucks.