The drop-off in defense when the Milwaukee Bucks swapped out Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard was beyond evident throughout the latter's two-year stint. Now, with Lillard gone and Kevin Porter Jr. hurt, the Bucks have turned to Ryan Rollins to be their new starting point guard, and he's playing more like Holiday than Lillard, providing incredible defense.
Ryan Rollins is catching eyes with his defense
While Lillard often tried and put forth energy, he never quite changed the narrative about his defense. No one expected him to play at the level of six-time All-Defensive honoree Jrue Holiday, but the hope was that his offense would make up for it. It didn't quite work out. This year, the Bucks wanted to get back to having their approach involve being active on both ends, and Rollins is making that work.
Rollins flashed defensive potential last season, but it's been front and center this year. He's taking on some of the most difficult matchups every night, and it's working well. Opposing guards are shooting just 36-of-90 (40 percent) with Rollins as their primary defender. The combination of physicality and intelligence has seen Rollins keep some of the NBA's best in check.
In addition to being a stout one-on-one defender, Rollins has been elite at picking up deflections also. Utilizing his 6-foot-9.75 wingspan, the 6-foot-4 combo guard is masterful at disrupting passing lanes and picking off passes. Those instincts and reach have helped Rollins tally 18 steals this season, the fifth-most in the league this season.
If he keeps playing like this, Rollins will find himself on an All-Defensive team. That's not something that could ever be said about Lillard. It's a new era of Bucks basketball that has turned back the clock to the days of Eric Bledsoe and Jrue Holiday, where the guards were elite defenders.
All of that goes without mentioning the guard's growth on the offensive end as well. While he isn't at Lillard's level on that end, he's still averaging 16.7 points and 5.4 assists per game while knocking in 42.2 percent of his triples. The defense is elite, and the offense is on the rise. It's the exact type of play the Milwaukee Bucks need as they usher in this new style of basketball.
In today's NBA, it's clear players have to make an impact on both ends. If not, it's challenging for them to play meaningful minutes. That's exactly what Rollins is doing for Milwaukee.
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