Through two preseason games, the Milwaukee Bucks have let it be known that they want to get up a ton of 3-pointers this season. That should be music to the ears of Gary Trent Jr. It's no secret that he just had one of the worst years of his career, and the best way to get back on the right track is to lean on perimeter shooting, which has been one of his greatest strengths from day one in the NBA.
Trent needs to keep letting it fly
The Bucks have attempted 91 3-pointers through their first two preseason outings. At 45.5 per game, Milwaukee ranks second in the league in average attempts. Taylor Jenkins, a disciple of former Bucks champion coach Mike Budenholzer, has seemingly adopted the "let it fly" mentality that was a crucial part of Milwaukee's identity during the franchise's recent heyday.
Trent did his part in Milwaukee's preseason opener, heaving eight tries from downtown—he knocked down three of them. Shooting 38.7 percent on 6.1 attempts per game from deep for his career, Trent is an excellent shooter. It's where he's made his money. If he wants to bounce back after last season's abysmal showing and eradicate the controversy surrounding his contract, he needs to hit his triples.
He'll get plenty of looks, given the sheer amount of excellent passers the Milwaukee Bucks employ on the roster. Ryan Rollins, Tyler Herro, Kevin Porter Jr., and even the overlooked Kasparas Jakucionis all have the ball-handling and vision to orchestrate the offense and find open shooters. Trent will benefit mightily from playing with all of these passing guards.
The question is whether he can hit the shots off those pretty passes.
One down year can't define Trent
If the Milwaukee Bucks gave Trent the four-year, $64 million deal they gave him this summer in 2025, there would have been no uproar. Though his overall productivity was down compared to years past, Trent still shot a blistering 41.6 percent from downtown in the regular season, and an incredible playoff outing gave the Bucks a shot against the Pacers.
One bad year in which Trent was in a dysfunctional environment due to Doc Rivers' coaching, Giannis Antetokounmpo's lingering trade demands, and players injured left and right, made everyone forget that he has always been a great role player who looks like a star some nights. With a new coach, a group of players who want to be in town, and a clear-cut role, Trent is poised to bounce back.
Keep letting it fly, Gary.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
Add us as a preferred source on Google