When Gary Trent Jr. first signed with the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent this past offseason, he was penciled in as the team's starting shooting guard.
He indeed started at that spot to begin the season, but things did not go according to plan. Trent was stuck in a slump early, struggling to throw a rock in the ocean most nights. In fact, during his last three starts between October 31 and November 4, Trent shot just 1-of-17 from downtown. Understanding these struggles, Doc Rivers sent him to the second unit to give Trent a change of scenery.
While some might have viewed that as a chemistry-disrupting demotion, Trent has not only bought into the role completely but he's also found his footing greatly since the change.
Gary Trent's numbers as a Bucks reserve are much better
In seven appearances as a starter, Trent averaged eight points while shooting 28.8 percent on his field goals and 23.1 percent on his triples. For a player hailed as one of the most productive outside shooters in the league and a legitimate double-digit scoring threat, those numbers simply were not going to cut it as a starter for the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the six games since the change, Trent's efficiency has gone through the roof, as he's now shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and an impressive 52.2 percent from deep. His points are down, as he has averaged 7.7 in these matchups, but the efficiency has skyrocketed, and he's simply appeared more comfortable when letting his shots fly.
In fact, after getting over the initial hump of coming off the bench throughout the first two contests, where he played a combined 14 minutes, Trent has really started to find his shot, averaging 11 points while hitting 50 percent of his shots, including 54.4 percent from behind the arc. It's a small sample size of games, but Trent looks like the player the Milwaukee Bucks envisioned when they signed him.
In addition to the offensive surge, Trent has also been playing solid one-on-one defense over these past few games. During this four-game stretch, opponents are shooting 10-of-24 (41.7 percent) on shots when Trent is the primary defender. He's incredibly active on that side of the ball, hounding his matchup and making every shot difficult.
This the the Gary Trent Jr. the Milwaukee Bucks need. The change of scenery to the second unit has helped fuel a complete 180 for him, and the team hopes this is only the beginning.
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