‘He’s been playing incredible’: Giannis won’t stop raving about controversial guard who’s become Milwaukee’s secret weapon, and the stats back up the hype

Ryan Rollins has surprised everyone with how well he’s playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. The 24-year-old guard jumped into the starting spot after Kevin Porter Jr. hurt his ankle in the first game of the season. In his first four games as a starter, he’s putting up 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and three steals per game while shooting pretty well.

Getting to this point wasn’t easy for Rollins. He was picked in the second round back in 2022 and has moved around the league since then. Last January, things got worse when he was arrested for shoplifting from Target. He admitted to the crime and pleaded guilty to petit larceny. But the Bucks decided to give him a shot anyway, and it looks like that gamble is paying off.

According to CBS Sports, Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn’t stop talking about how good Rollins has been after the Bucks beat the Knicks. “He’s been playing incredible,” Giannis said. “Defensively, he’s one of the most annoying guards, probably, in the league. He’s making the right reads. He’s able to play with me, come off the bench, pretty much does everything. I love playing with him.”

Milwaukee finally found someone who can actually guard people

The Bucks have been dealing with a big problem in their backcourt ever since Damian Lillard tore his Achilles during the playoffs. They cut Lillard and spread his contract over several years to free up money. That cash went to signing Myles Turner, which helped their big men situation.

But losing a star guard left them really thin at that position. So general manager Jon Horst brought in several guards like Rollins, Cole Anthony, and Gary Trent Jr. Everyone wondered if any of these guys could really help the team win.

So far, Rollins looks like he might be the answer. In the game against the Knicks, he scored 25 points, his best game ever in the NBA. He also had four assists and four steals. Right now, he’s tied for the most steals in the entire league at three per game.

He’s also third in the league in deflections with 5.5 per game. When he’s on the court, the Bucks score 8.2 more points per 100 possessions than when he sits on the bench. His performance comes at a time when other teams are seeing major changes in their seasons.

What makes Rollins tough to play against is how hard he guards people. He doesn’t wait for the other team’s point guard to bring the ball up slowly. He gets right up on them as soon as they cross half court, sometimes even before that.

Rajon Rondo, who’s helping coach the Bucks part time, has been teaching Rollins how to be even better. “Once I fouled out [in the preseason game] I knew my capabilities defensively,” Rollins said. “I knew that I could stay in front of these guys and make it tough for them.”

Coach Doc Rivers mainly wants Rollins to keep playing great defense. But with Porter still hurt, the team needs him to score too. His three-point shooting has been up and down. He only made 3 out of 16 shots from behind the arc in his first three games.

Then against the Knicks he went 4 for 4. Whether he can keep shooting well from deep will matter a lot going forward. Strong guard play has always been important for teams trying to win titles, and Rollins needs to show he can keep this up.