The Milwaukee Bucks want to play a much quicker brand of basketball this coming season, and their point guards will play an essential role in that. They need the trio of Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, and Cole Anthony to speed up and down the court at every single opportunity, and it sounds like they are buying into that responsibility quickly.
"These guys are getting up and down," Myles Turner said at Milwaukee Bucks training camp in Miami. "Ryan Rollins, you know, pushing the pace. You've got Cole [Anthony]. Gary Harris is getting to the corners. It's just a matter of getting everybody used to it now."
Bucks are pushing the pace, and it could unlock this offense
Fast-paced basketball has not been a strength of Milwaukee's in recent seasons. They've been in the bottom portion of fast break points and points off turnovers over the last couple of years. That's what happens when a team has one of the oldest rosters in the NBA year after year. Now, after a makeover this summer, they are equipped to tackle these weaknesses with a new approach.
Rollins, in particular, should help the Milwaukee Bucks mightily in this regard. Last season, among Bucks players to play at least 30 games, Rollins ranked second on the team in pace. He's a quick guard who likes to get up and down the floor in a hurry. This fast-paced style of play is among the reasons some Bucks fans want to see him on court to open games.
It's welcoming to hear that Anthony is buying into Milwaukee's philosophy. With the Magic last year, Anthony ranked ninth in pace among players to log at least 30 games. The year before, he was down at 13th on that roster. In Milwaukee, he will need to be much quicker as a floor general, and it appears it has taken him no time at all to realize that.
It's not just the point guards who are buying in as well. As Turner mentioned, newcomer Gary Harris has been running as well. Last season, he quietly ranked third on the Magic in pace among their key rotational pieces. There are questions as to how big of a role he may actually play, but Harris has the tools to help the Milwaukee Bucks if that statistic translates.
Doc Rivers has clearly hammered home how fast he wants this team to play, and it's taken very little time for everyone to buy in. It will certainly be a different-looking Milwaukee Bucks team than what they've had in recent years, but that's not a bad thing. Looking to catch up with the rest of the NBA, change can be good.
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