One of the best stories from the Milwaukee Bucks' 2024-25 NBA campaign has been the sudden rise of young guard Ryan Rollins.
Going from being a two-way player who hardly played to start the year to a standard contract starter, Rollins has turned out to be a hidden gem find to this point. Wanting to get some insight on what it's like to be a Milwaukee Bucks guard on the rise, this writer chatted with Brandon Jennings, the former franchise guard, at Michelob ULTRA's Play Like a Pro event to get his thoughts on Rollins.
"Ryan Rollins is coming together on his own. The more time he gets, the better things will get."
Bucks guard Ryan Rollins is proving Brandon Jennings right
Days after Jennings' claim, Rollins had the best game of his young career. In a win over the depleted Phoenix Suns, the starting guard poured in 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals while shooting an incredibly efficient 8-of-10 from the floor. That included scoring seven points during the final minute and a half to help the Milwaukee Bucks seal the deal.
With his 23-point effort against Phoenix, Rollins has officially surpassed his previous career-high in scoring three times since March 26. Since that day, he's had games consisting of point totals of 17, 20 and 23. With the Milwaukee Bucks trying to stay afloat without Damian Lillard, this scoring surge from the young guard has been a necessity. He's breaking out at the perfect time.
As Brandon Jennings alluded to, the expanded opportunity lately has helped fuel Rollins' breakout, allowing him to take on a larger role and grow more comfortable in big moments. Whether the Bucks get Damian Lillard back in the lineup or not, Ryan Rollins should continue to play a significant role for this team on a nightly basis.
There's plenty of pressure on the shoulders of the 22-year-old guard, and so far, he's shown that he's willing to embrace the challenge. With his defense, scoring, facilitating and disruptive presence, he is undeniably one of the team's biggest X-factors as they prepare for the NBA Playoffs.
In 14 starts this season, Rollins is now averaging 11 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per contest while shooting 47 percent from the floor and 43.3 percent from downtown. He very well may just be getting started for the Milwaukee Bucks, as he still has plenty of room to grow into the player he can become.
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