Maybe it was silly to assume that Ryan Rollins' emergence was enough to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay in Milwaukee long-term. I kind of did trick myself into that, though — or at least conceived that Rollins' explosion onto the scene could help persuade Giannis into staying.
The lack of a clear future plan always seemed like a big reason for Giannis' potential willingness to ask out, and Rollins becoming a cornerstone in MKE is a step in the right direction of a clearer future.
It doesn't appear to have been enough. With Giannis now pondering his future with the Bucks, Rollins' future with this team isn't ruined. I believe he remains that cornerstone. He's shown us plenty, even in games Giannis has been sidelined, to get excited about. He looks impressively calm running the offense, especially for a guy who was a borderline NBA player like three months ago.
But these latest Giannis reports do take a bit of the steam out of Rollins' development — he was so exciting, in large part because he seemed like a perfect fit next to Giannis moving forward. No one expected Rollins to be the No. 1 option heading into the future; instead, he would be a perfect complementary guard piece alongside #34. Now, he might not have anyone to complement, and might instead be forced to play a role that he's less prepared for.
Ryan Rollins and Giannis are a promising frontcourt - backcourt duo
A rising tide lifts all boats. In basketball terms, an unstoppable low-post force lifts all guard play. Giannis opens a beautiful world of wide-open shots and opportunities for his teammates because of the attention he draws every night, and Rollins was making the most of those opportunities.
In the 370 minutes they've shared on the court, Rollins and Antetokounmpo have a net rating of 10.4 — a fantastic number. The chemistry is undeniable, and they work so well as a guard-big tandem.
Also, at the moment, Giannis is still a Milwaukee Buck. I don't want to get ahead of myself and pre-trade him before any deal actually goes down. So for the time being, we should celebrate he and Rollins playing so well off one another.
Plus, maybe Rollins does eventually develop into the focal point of the Bucks offense, rather than a really good option next to another star. Just two nights ago, he posted 22 & 8 in a game Giannis left in the first quarter with an injury.
But it's not fair to ask for production like that every night, especially as defensive attention will be turned to him any time Giannis is not on the court.
Ryan Rollins is going to develop into a very good NBA player no matter who's flanking him. But a Giannis trade — among about 1000 other sad things — would break up a duo that's been dynamite in their short stint together, and make Rollins' rise through the ranks more difficult than it would be with Giannis around.