{"id":164662,"date":"2025-10-29T08:04:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T12:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=164662"},"modified":"2025-10-31T09:29:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T13:29:21","slug":"bucks-doubled-down-on-ryan-rollins-decision-and-its-benefiting-them-already","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/29\/bucks-doubled-down-on-ryan-rollins-decision-and-its-benefiting-them-already\/","title":{"rendered":"Bucks Doubled Down On Ryan Rollins Decision, And It\u2019s Benefiting Them Already"},"content":{"rendered":"

MILWAUKEE \u2014 The Bucks<\/a> are quietly proving doubters wrong. A 3\u20131 start has shifted public perception, and one surprising reason behind that success is Ryan Rollins<\/a>. The Bucks recently doubled down on their decision to re-sign Rollins and they are reaping the rewards already.<\/p>\n

Bucks Doubled Down on Ryan Rollins Decision, and It\u2019s Benefiting Them Already<\/h2>\n
\"The
Mar 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) takes a hand off from center Nikola Jokic (15) as he screens against Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Few expected Milwaukee to rank among the East\u2019s top four after losing Damian Lillard<\/a> to a torn Achilles. That injury was a crushing blow \u2014 not only to the team\u2019s title hopes but also to their short-term competitiveness. Yet, rather than sit back, the Bucks made one of the boldest offseason decisions in the league.<\/p>\n

They waived and stretched Lillard\u2019s remaining contract, creating enough cap space to sign Myles Turner<\/a>. The move raised eyebrows, but it was a calculated risk \u2014 a bet on versatility, defense, and Giannis Antetokounmpo\u2019s<\/a> long-term trust in the franchise.<\/p>\n

Still, one of their quieter moves \u2014 re-signing Rollins \u2014 is turning out to be the most rewarding of them all.<\/p>\n

Betting on Rollins Pays Off<\/h3>\n

Rollins entered the summer as a restricted free agent. Multiple contenders reportedly showed interest, but the Bucks moved quickly, offering a three-year, $12 million deal. For a player with only flashes of promise, it seemed like a gamble.<\/p>\n

But so far, that gamble looks brilliant. Rollins has rewarded Milwaukee\u2019s faith with consistency and impact. He\u2019s averaging 18.6 points, 5.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game through four contests.<\/p>\n

His breakout came in the nationally televised 121\u2013111 win over the Knicks<\/a>, where he scored a then-career-high 25 points at Fiserv Forum. That performance cemented his place in the rotation \u2014 and likely in Milwaukee\u2019s long-term plans. Rollins quickly followed that up with an even more impressive performance against the 4-2 Warriors<\/a>. He led the Giannis-less Bucks to a surprising 120-110 win with a 32-point, eight-assist showing.<\/p>\n

A Defensive Edge the Bucks Needed<\/h3>\n

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers doubled down on Ryan Rollins\u2019 momentum, starting him over veteran Cole Anthony<\/a> while Kevin Porter Jr<\/a>. recovers from an ankle injury. It was a statement move \u2014 and it paid off.<\/p>\n

Rollins has given Milwaukee something they\u2019ve lacked since Jrue Holiday\u2019s<\/a> departure: a true point-of-attack defender at the lead guard position. His 2.4 steals per game rank fifth in the entire league.<\/p>\n

When Rollins is on the floor, opponents\u2019 possessions end in turnovers 1.3%<\/a> more often \u2014 a 70th-percentile mark. His defensive motor and anticipation have added a new dimension to Milwaukee\u2019s backcourt.<\/p>\n

Room to Grow, But the Fit Is Clear<\/h3>\n

Rollins still has growing pains. His shooting has been inconsistent \u2014 starting the year at a rough 18.8% from three before exploding for a combined 9-of-11 against the Knicks and Warriors. That outburst bumped him up to 44.4%, higher than the 40.8% he shot last season.<\/p>\n

The increased volume is encouraging, and if he maintains efficiency, he\u2019ll be an elite two-way contributor. For now, the Bucks can celebrate a win in talent evaluation \u2014 and a front office move that\u2019s paying dividends faster than anyone expected.<\/p>\n

Bucks’ decision to double down on Ryan Rollins wasn\u2019t just smart; it was forward-thinking. In a league where stars dominate headlines, the Bucks might have found their next hidden gem \u2014 one helping them stay competitive in a season that wasn\u2019t supposed to be theirs.<\/p>\n

MILWAUKEE \u2014 The Bucks are quietly proving doubters wrong. A 3\u20131 start has shifted public perception, and one surprising reason behind that success is Ryan Rollins. The Bucks recently doubled down on their decision to re-sign Rollins and they are reaping the rewards already. Bucks Doubled Down on Ryan Rollins Decision, and It\u2019s Benefiting Them […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":164667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,15,3],"tags":[50244,4975,4972],"class_list":["post-164662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-bucks","category-news","tag-2025-26-nba-season","tag-nba-contracts","tag-ryan-rollins"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164662"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":165059,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164662\/revisions\/165059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}