Ryan Rollins came into his own with the Milwaukee Bucks last season, and everyone, including the man who re-signed him this summer, Jon Horst, has big expectations moving forward. In a recent interview with The Athletic's Eric Nehm, Horst compared Rollins to George Hill, a two-time Bucks point guard, raving about his physicality, playmaking, and shooting.
Horst offers Rollins some high-end praise
Milwaukee Bucks fans might not remember Hill too fondly from his second stint with the franchise, but there's no denying the career he had prior to that. For years, Hill was an electric two-way guard who could play tough defense and shoot the lights out, serving as a crucial cog on some tough San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers teams to start his NBA career.
He was the type of role player every franchise would love to have; that's why the Milwaukee Bucks brought him in twice. Milwaukee would love it if Rollins developed into that type of player sooner rather than later.
On paper, the comparison is undeniable. Both are 6-foot-4 guards who are in the 180 lbs range and boast 6-foot-9 wingspans. Like Hill, Rollins has started to grow into being a quality defender, using that lengthy wingspan to deter opponents. Offensively, the point guard has become a stable shooter, hitting 41.3 percent of his triples with the Milwaukee Bucks. There's a lot to like there with the two.
At 23, Rollins is still raw and has room to grow. Like Rollins, Hill was 22 when he got his first legitimate NBA action and really took off the following year. The guard had the best year of his career last year with a bum shoulder; now that he's undergone surgery and is set to be healthy, there's no doubt that he could be on the verge of a major breakout.
The most prominent aspect of Ryan Rollins' game, if he will grow into the Hill role, that requires growth is passing. The guard has averaged 1.5 assists per game in his three-year career. He has the chops to be a strong shooter and defender, but there are times when he may need to generate offense for his teammates, even if Giannis Antetokounmpo is the primary ball-handler.
For a franchise that has been starved of young contributors over the years, Ryan Rollins following the George Hill career path could do a lot of positive things.
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