An eventful Wednesday ended with the Milwaukee Bucks claiming their best win of the season over the Eastern Conference's top seed, the Detroit Pistons. Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. proved they are the legit backcourt of the future with a pair of stellar performances.
Rollins and KPJ give the Bucks a bright future
Losing Giannis Antetokounmpo three minutes into the game felt like the world was against the Milwaukee Bucks, but the squad fought hard and claimed a 113-109 victory.
Porter has been impressive in his return, scoring 56 points across the previous two games, with a game-high 26 points against the Pistons. He also added seven assists and two steals as he shot an efficient 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) from the field and 3-of-8 (37.5 percent) from deep. He paired well with Jericho Sims, assisting the big man four times on his road to a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double.
A worry when Doc Rivers went with Porter and Rollins as the backcourt pairing was that the former would take shots away from the latter, who had been the team's breakout player so far this season. They showed they can work together, with Rollins adding 22 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and two steals as he shot 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) from the field.
Similar to Porter, Rollins found success with Bobby Ports, assisting all five of his makes as the veteran scored 13 points. It was an all-around great team performance with all eight players stepping up and making big plays on both ends of the floor.
There has been plenty made of the Bucks' asset management and their poor draft selections, leading to a dim future. However, Rollins and Porter have shown that they are more than capable of taking on the mantle as the starting backcourt for the team moving forward, particularly with the discussions early on Wednesday around Giannis' future with the team.
Add in AJ Green with his shooting on the wing, and the Milwaukee Bucks' future actually is a lot brighter than many think.
If the two-time MVP is set to miss time with what thankfully is being reported as a calf strain at worst and not an Achilles injury, then Rollins and Porter will once again be asked to propel the team on both sides of the ball.
The team's seven-game losing streak without Giannis and Porter exposed the roster's flaws. Now that the latter is back, he and Rollins have displayed an ability to create for themselves, but also to open up the game for others. Giannis can't be replaced, so the other guys will also have to make their shots should the superstar miss time.
It was a great team win after a very emotional day, all things considered. Rollins and Porter showed what they can do as a backcourt pairing, and that is positive for both the present and the future in Milwaukee.