Bucks writer just made tantalizing Ryan Rollins comparison fans will eat up

The Milwaukee Bucks haven't had a lot of positives to focus on lately, though they snapped a four-game skid Saturday against Utah. One consistently positive feature this season has been the Ryan Rollins breakout watch, as the fourth-year guard has emerged as a rightful Most Improved Player candidate and one of the league's most complete young players. 

While he still has room to grow (that's the exciting part), his two-way prowess in the backcourt recalls a Bucks legend of the recent past. 

BTBP's Dalton Sell elaborated on the comparison in an interview with WTMJ. "He's not quite on that level yet, obviously, but when I watch Ryan Rollins, that two-way play, it just reminds me of Jrue Holiday. A much younger Jrue Holiday, he's certainly not as polished, the turnovers have been really bad, but just that two-way play," Sellpodcast earlier this week. 

That's something the roster has missed ever since Holiday left, even with the arrival of another star in Damian Lillard. "Dame was great. Dame was an All-Star with the Bucks, but he didn't bring you that juice on both sides of the basketball that Holiday did. And some could say that was one of the biggest problems with the Bucks. Rollins isn't there, but he's also 23." 

On top of the already very useful player Rollins has become, that potential for growth in the form of a young Holiday apprentice is something Bucks fans can eagerly track beyond the win-loss column.

Rollins resembles two-way force Holiday was in his heyday 

He wasn't at his most efficient versus the Jazz, going 5-for-15 from the floor for 13 points, but he showcased his versatility with 11 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks. Playing without Kevin Porter Jr., who is sidelined with knee swelling, Rollins has twice as much responsibility as a ballhandler in the backcourt, and on the other end hounding the other team's top guards. 

He has a good amount of experience playing without his partner in crime this season. Overall in 60 games, he is averaging 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on 40.6 percent from distance. That doesn't even account for his tenacious defense. 

Especially potent in combination, he and Porter are among the leaders in deflections per game. Rollins averages 4.2 per contest, Porter 3.7. They have also combined to average 3.7 steals. 

Clearly, however, the 23-year-old Toledo product has bloomed into a force in his own right. It's that two-way productivity that evokes prime Holiday. No, as Sell notes, Rollins isn't as buttoned up as a facilitator. In the second half of the season, giveaways have surfaced as a real problem. 

But his disruptiveness and effort on defense are thwarting opponents already. For all Lillard's thrilling contributions, that's something the Bucks lacked entirely during the Dame Time era. 

Maturity promises more in store for Bucks' "Holiday Jr."

Like Holiday, on the opposite end Rollins is a three-level scorer, capable of taking over as a No. 1 option if needed. He has led the team in scoring nine times this season.

Of course, he's still young; this is only his second season of meaningful playing time. Holiday was 30 and entering his 12th season when he arrived in Milwaukee. One development that would make Rollins even more effective on both ends is adding just a bit of strength. 

The Bucks don't want him to sacrifice his quickness or his lithe maneuvers to the rim, but right now, he's giving up around 40 pounds to Holiday. Bigger players can still push Rollins around in a way they couldn't with the veteran guard.

Even without that extra bulk, one advantage the youth has is his length. Despite standing an inch shorter in height, Rollins has nearly three inches on Holiday in wingspan. That is certainly a factor in racking up all those deflections. 

Offensively, he just needs to play under a bit more control at times and continue to grow in his decision-making. If Rollins already looks like a baby Jrue, what he could become is a tantalizing prospect for the Bucks' future.