Barring an unforeseen and unlikely last-minute trade, Tyler Herro will start for the Milwaukee Bucks this coming season. The bigger question is who will start next to the one-time All-Star guard in the new-look backcourt? Milwaukee's two likeliest options are Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins, as they both have a case. With training camp nearing, the answer to this lingering uncertainty is close.
Bucks backcourt resolution will arrive after camp
Both Porter and Rollins put up some of the best numbers of their careers last year. They can and will be important pieces to the Milwaukee Bucks no matter what role they are in, but someone must start. Each will certainly look to make their case to Taylor Jenkins in his first year as the coach, but it likely comes down to who fits better with Herro.
As the likely No. 1 option for Milwaukee this season, Herro will have the ball in his hands often. A solid backcourt mate will play well off the ball to let Herro play his game but occasionally score to give him some breathing room. Check for both of them. How about complementary defense to take pressure off Herro? Check. Check. That's why this won't be an easy call for Jenkins.
How they perform in camp will be the true test. Jenkins will certainly test countless combinations to see who fits where, and seeing who gels with who could make his life far easier.
Rollins starting, Porter subbing would make sense
While both players have a case to start, Porter's passing might make him an ideal candidate to come off the bench.
After averaging a career-high 7.4 assists per contest this past season, Porter showed he was more than capable of being a floor general. Rather than letting Herro take those opportunities away from him, perhaps the Milwaukee Bucks could maximize it by splitting him and Herro up, allowing both of them to control their respective units.
This isn't to say Rollins can't handle the ball, as he also averaged a career-high in assists last season, but he fits better into an off-ball role than Porter in this scenario. Even if it's not a massive gap, many would label him as a better defender than Porter, and pairing Herro with a stout defender to take on those tough matchups is a necessity.
In this case, coming off the bench shouldn't be viewed as a demotion. All three of these players have a case to start, but someone has to be the odd man out. Coming off the bench could be the best way to maximize the production of one of these players. The answer is coming.
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