Make that four wins on the bounce for the Milwaukee Bucks after they took down the Charlotte Hornets in a 124-119 win in their last outing. With six wins in their last seven games, the Bucks are starting to put it together, catapulting them from the basement of the Eastern Conference up to the fifth seed.
There was plenty of talk early in the season about how lacking the bench unit for the Bucks was, but now it seems Doc Rivers and the players are figuring things out and there is competition for places. Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green have been on a tear when coming in off the bench, but there is another key rotation that is now seeing competition.
Rollins, Wright are both vying for the backup point guard spot
Two-way guard Ryan Rollins impressed in his seven games for the Bucks prior to suffering a shoulder injury. He is available again but did not feature on Saturday night against the Hornets after missing the past several games.
The 25-year-old had taken the backup point guard role from veteran newcomer Delon Wright, but the latter has stepped up in his absence and shown why he is a good pickup for Milwaukee.
Wright is a career 6.8 point-per-game scorer with three assists and three rebounds, his main asset being his calmness to slow the game down and control the tempo when the starting point guard sits. He is known for his defensive ability and size and lack of turnovers, which is starting to show for the Bucks. Since Rollins has been out, Wright has averaged 20 minutes across the seven games, with two starts when Damian Lillard was also out.
Wright's shooting has been off in the last seven games, with him going just 25.9 percent from the field and 15 percent from deep, but defensively, he has brought size, averaging 1.3 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. Another big area is his defended field goal percentage and field goal percentage, both being at 45.6 and 45.3 percent, which is better than both Rollins and Lillard. The offense isn't there, but the defense is, and that is Wright's selling point.
Rollins makes this competition interesting with his energy and athleticism, which bring a different look for Milwaukee. Alongside AJ Green and Andre Jackson Jr., there is fearlessness and exuberance among the youngsters. Against the Hornets, he may have just sat as a precaution rather than rushing him back, so it will be interesting to see what Doc Rivers does against the Miami Heat on Tuesday.
The former second-round pick is averaging 3.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and one assist on splits of .435/.545/.750. What makes the injury to him slightly frustrating is that he put up 12 points against the Toronto Raptors and was starting to look comfortable, but thankfully, he has returned swiftly.
The backup point guard spot is up for grabs, with Wright playing well, though not spectacular, and Rollins showing really positive signs prior to injury. They can also now throw different looks at teams depending on opponents and game state, as these are two very different players.
The Bucks aren't the finished article, but they are miles ahead of where they were just two weeks ago.
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