Ryan Rollins was struggling, without a doubt, but it was still surprising to see Taylor Jenkins yank him from the starting five this early. In the Milwaukee Bucks' matchup with Minnesota, Rollins came off the bench behind Brayden Burries, who made his first NBA start. While shocking, this shouldn't be viewed as the beginning of the end of Rollins' time in Milwaukee. It could just be a recalibration of his role.
It makes perfect sense to bench Rollins
When a player gets demoted, the first thought is where they might play next. Yet, fans should not fire up the trade machine just yet. This could just be Taylor Jenkins testing something new.
As this writer discussed in recent days, Kevin Porter Jr.'s passing was a massive reason why Rollins had the best year of his career last season. Playing with a guard who can set the table for him was a huge boost, and he simply didn't have that in Tyler Herro. Now, though, coming off the bench, he can see more time with Kasparas Jakucionis, who is more than happy to set up his teammates.
Sometimes, a change of scenery can also help spark something in a player. Rollins wasn't living up to expectations as a starter. Might as well try something different and see if it helps him turn over a new leaf. Perhaps the sudden change is the shot in the arm that Rollins needs to get back to performing at the level he's shown previously.
Ryan Rollins could still be a key piece of Milwaukee's future, even if his new home is the second unit.
Burries' performance will have implications
Between this development and Nate Ament replacing Ousmane Dieng in the rotation, Taylor Jenkins is showing he's not afraid to mix things up. If bringing Rollins off the bench doesn't work, he won't be shy about trying something new once again. That could very well reopen the door to Rollins being in the starting five. Of course, it all hinges on Burries.
If Milwaukee's prized rookie flat-out dazzles in this flashy new role, it could be difficult to pry that spot away from him. With player development clearly something Jenkins wants to make part of the team's identity early in his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, he'll want to see as much of Burries. If he struggles, though, while Rollins regains his footing, perhaps he swaps them again.
First, Jenkins needs to see how this current formula plays out. It is admirable that he is trying new things this early as the team struggles.
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