The Milwaukee Bucks have made no secret of their roster approach this season. Instead of employing a traditional point guard, the offense will be in the hands of point-Giannis, supplemented by playmaking from Kevin Porter Jr., Cole Anthony, and Ryan Rollins as so-called point guards.
In reality, all three fit better under the combo-guard label, and none more so than Rollins. As the least experienced member of the trio, how will he factor into the rotation? Will his lack of proven point guard skills restrict his opportunities? On the contrary. Rather than a limiting factor, Doc Rivers sees the combo-guard template as opening the door to Rollins in any number of lineup configurations.
Open-minded rotations would let Rollins spread his wings
Although Porter has been designated as the starter, Rivers isn't pretending like there is a true point guard at his disposal. Instead, he is refreshingly open to creative possibilities.
"I don't look at them as point guards," Rivers said. "I think they can all play all the positions. I mean, we played Ryan and Cole together today. So, it doesn't matter, they're guards. Our offense is pretty open to - it's not a point-guard orientated offense."
This applies to all Bucks guards, of course, but it is especially relevant to Rollins' prospects. Rollins still has room to grow as a playmaker. Right now, throwing him out there to run the point by himself could prove overly ambitious in situations that call for a decisive floor general, particularly with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the bench.
Because of this, Rivers being open to playing two of his "point guards" at a time gives him a much higher ceiling for minutes. Rollins won't have to take a seat just because the Milwaukee Bucks want Anthony or Porter on the court as a primary ballhandler. In turn, those extra opportunities will help Rollins develop his own playmaking abilities.
The lineup permutations are endless. Because Rollins is already a tight defender and knocks down catch-and-shoot looks, he can lock in as a 3-and-D player when on the court with Anthony or Porter, besides being a tertiary facilitator.
When Rivers has AJ Green or Gary Trent Jr. at the two, Rollins can slide over to the one and play off of Giannis. The only lineup that doesn't make sense is pairing Anthony and Porter, which would be somewhat redundant on offense. Rollins' versatility and defensive chops make him a solid fit with any of Milwaukee's main options in the backcourt.
Ryan Rollins showed great promise last season in his first real shot. 2025-26 has the makings of a breakout campaign. Rivers leaning into the imperfect roster build instead of forcing things should only work in Rollins' favor.