Ryan Rollins is just too good to come off the Milwaukee Bucks' bench. Many fans were none too pleased with Doc Rivers' decision to remove him from the starting lineup. After four games in a reserve role, Rollins was back on the court at tipoff against the Bulls. Was Giannis Antetokounmpo's return a factor? Rivers can use personnel considerations to explain it all he wants. It sure feels like re-promoting Rollins is a tacit admission that benching him was never the answer.
Fans begging for more Rollins vindicated by Rivers' lineup redo
To be fair, bringing Rollins off the bench accomplished part of what it was supposed to. Splitting him and Kevin Porter Jr. put the ball in his hands more often. His shot attempts ticked up. So did his scoring.
But it also capped his minutes. With or without Giannis, the Bucks can't have that. They need all the playmaking they can get. Rollins is also a knockdown shooter, a tough defender, and one of their best players on both sides of the ball. Yet he saw 28 minutes or less in three of the four games. He played just 23 minutes in a 3-point loss to Minnesota. Surprise, surprise, the game he got the most burn, Tuesday in Indiana, was the Bucks' only win. Rollins did his part with 23 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
Benching Rollins could only work if Rivers managed his rotations to still maximize his playing time. He did not do so consistently and the Bucks suffered for it.
Maybe Rivers would have done so anyway, but Giannis' return gave him an easy excuse to plug Rollins back in the lineup and pretend he wasn't wrong to take him out in the first place. His minutes increased immediately, back up to 35. He proved he belonged, not that he needed to, with 20 points on 12 shots, five assists, and one turnover. Because Rollins spent more time on the floor, the Bucks benefited from his relentless defense on that many extra possessions.
Before, Rivers effectively replaced Rollins with Gary Trent Jr. and Kyle Kuzma. Trent was abysmal and then got hurt. Kuzma is not a reliable shooter, in theory making him a poor fit with Giannis. Enter Rollins as the Bucks' natural fifth starter.
In the context of Rivers' other choices, that explanation appears inconsistent at best. Why pair Kuzma and Sims, as he has done before, if starting two non-shooters is a no-go? Kuzma and Giannis have also started together on multiple occasions.
What's more, Rollins was benched to give him more opportunities as a primary shot creator. Now Giannis is back to run the show. One would only expect his usage rate to dip further starting alongside both Giannis and Porter. Reinstating Rollins would not make much sense if done mainly for personnel reasons.
It does make sense to maximize the shot creation and two-way talent on the floor at any time. The Bucks do not have a luxury of options. At times this season, coming up with five legitimate starters has not been easy. Benching Rollins seemed like an obvious mistake when Rivers did it, but give him credit for finally conceding his mistake.