Ryan Rollins: Cut from a different cloth

I’ll be honest, when the Lillard trade went down, and those picks went out the door, I was at once incredibly excited about the immediate-term future and nervous about the long-term. Evaluating the roster, I thought the Bucks had two or maybe three years to win another title, and then after that, it could be a long road of misery with little young talent to build around. That was until this season, when Ryan Rollins—a two-way acquisition with 81 career games under his belt—changed everything.

Back to the very start…

Before we get to this current season, I want to paint a picture of how we got here with Ryan Rollins. Signing a two-way contract at the end of the 2023-24 season, Rollins was thrust into real minutes last year after the much-vaunted Delon Wright disappointed in his time at backup point guard. And sure, I thought Ryan was solid enough. He shot the ball decently, had some juice off the bounce, and was a solid on-ball defender with good off-ball instincts. There was some stuff to work with, for sure. But it was a game on the 12th of November 2024 against Toronto that made me think a little harder. Why? Not because of the way he played—it was the way in which he carried himself.

To remind folks, the Bucks were 2-8 before this game against the Raptors. The NBA media was in a frenzy. Will Giannis ask out? Is Doc’s job safe? It was a circus. Dame was in concussion protocol, and Khris was not yet playing. Not great, but absence begets opportunity, meaning Rollins would get his first career start. How did he fare? Well, I wouldn’t say it went great. He shot 4/12 for the game; heck, he went 1/7 in the first quarter! Now you tell me, how many players on a two-way contract would pack it in for the rest of the night after starting like that? Not Ryan.

His first shot of the third quarter was a movement three off a baseline set, which he stroked with the confidence of a guy who’d shot perfectly. But the most revealing play of all was his second triple of the quarter because, I kid you not, it came directly after he dislocated his shoulder. Rollins was defending on the weak side when Ochai Agbaji penetrated via the left wing; Bobby Ports stepped up, and Ryan cracked back to take Bobby’s man, dislodging the ball on the pass for his fifth (yes, fifth) steal of the night.

In the process of poking the ball free, Rollins fell on the floor and immediately grabbed his left shoulder, which he’d dislocated. Giannis was off to the races and dribbled at AJ Green for a handoff, who caught it and flipped it back. By this point, Ryan was back in the frame on the opposite wing. Giannis, ever the gentleman, fired a bullet at him, which he caught and promptly shot, nailing the deep ball (because of course he did).

Rollins exited the game at the next stoppage (but not before defending a Gradey Dick jumper with one arm, of course), and the Bucks won their third game of the year. In hindsight, this was the perfect snapshot not only of the player but also of the mindset that makes Rollins so special. It showed maybe his most valuable trait: the ability to impact the game without shooting efficiently. Additionally, it showed that he fears nothing and will never shy away from adversity (which apparently includes taking and making a three with a dislocated shoulder). Let’s put a pin in both of those.

“That’s like the story of my life,” Rollins said postgame about his injury. “It’s always something. I mean, I can’t complain about it. I’m going to just keep working, keep getting better. It’s not really a serious injury, so I’ll be back next game anyway. It is always something for me, but I’ll always work through it regardless.”

Rollins was not, in fact, back for the next game. Van did a great breakdown of the full injury timeline, but in short, he declined season-ending shoulder surgery—which potentially would’ve put his NBA future in doubt—instead opting to rehab the injury and hope to come back. He returned to the court three weeks later, still clearly hampered, but good enough to be a decently effective player. Honestly, that was pretty baller of him. Even knowing he’d be playing in a diminished state, the man bet on himself to still perform well enough to secure his future in the league. And he did exactly that, even as he dealt with sporadic minutes—until Damian Lillard was diagnosed with deep-vein thrombosis, of course.

“Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready” is a cliché often told to role players, but it’s absolutely correct. Well, Rollins was indeed ready when Lillard went down late in the season. He started 11 of the final 13 games, averaging 10.8 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG in 24 minutes per contest; he shot 52.5% from the field and 47.8% from three with an injured shoulder! Of course, Ryan didn’t play much in the postseason with Dame returning, and we all know how that era ended. But the one positive that came of Lillard’s torn Achilles was that it provided Rollins with a golden opportunity. Looking back, was there ever any doubt what he’d do with it?

Ryan Rollins’ mind-boggling growth this season

Coming into this year, I think most fans were excited about what Rollins could bring in a role where he’d be getting guaranteed minutes, but I highly doubt anybody expected this. As Zac put it to me, he went from being a “can he play some meaningful minutes?” guy to “this dude might make an All-Star team” in half a season. This is one of the most stunning development stories in league history. A guy who spent the previous season on a two-way contract genuinely turned into one of the league’s most impactful players the very next year. I know I’m biased, but these numbers seem pretty Most Improved Player-y to me!

Quite honestly, though, it might not even be the way Ryan’s numbers have risen so dramatically that’s shocked me the most—it’s been his killer mindset. Remember when I said he fears nothing? Well, there might not be a better example of that than the first game this season against Golden State. Rollins stood up on the biggest stage, dropping 32 points and eight assists in 36 minutes, walking down three future Hall of Famers in the fourth quarter as he made shot after shot to fend off the charging Warriors:

And oh yeah, don’t forget that he also had the defensive assignment on Steph Curry, who went 8/19 and turned the ball over five times. Even more impressive was Draymond Green later revealing on his podcast that he intentionally tried to rattle Ryan by hitting him hard on screens after he “levelled” Steph Curry, but to no avail.  

“We were standing at the free throw line talking. I said, ‘I told you I was going to get you.’ He was like, ‘yeah, but you know how I’m cut. I ain’t backing down from none of that.’”

The truly absurd thing is that that Warriors game wasn’t some flash in the pan—it became the norm! Believe it or not, Rollins has not only been the Bucks’ most effective clutch performer this year, but he’s also been among the league’s most clutch! After last night’s game, he is now 25/45 (55.6%) on clutch-time attempts (when a game is within five points in the final five minutes). That number ties him with Alperen Sengun for the 13th-most in the NBA. It’s worth noting that of the 13 players above or tied with him, 12 have made an All-Star team (the other is Cooper Flagg). But you know what’s even crazier? Rollins ranks second in clutch shooting percentage among those 12 players.

Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t. This is a stone-cold killer.

And even just throughout general play, Ryan’s ability to create something out of nothing with a live dribble is incredible. At just 6’3”, he has this unique ability to diagnose how he’s being guarded and create opportunities without getting sped up, overdribbling, or losing balance. In the same way that Giannis’ game, to me, is akin to rock music, Rollins’ is more equivalent to jazz. On cue!

Not to mention, Rollins has done this while shouldering major defensive responsibility all season. I mean, you take a step back and look at a player who really doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses. He’s shooting great percentages on both catch-and-shoot threes (42.1%) and pull-up threes (41.6%). He finishes proficiently on the interior (54.1% on shots taken within 10 feet). And if he can’t get separation from his defender, he’s still efficient working in tight quarters (44.1% on shots taken in which the closest defender is within 2-4 feet, which account for 34.1% of his attempts).

Add to that Ryan’s defensive proficiency as both an on and off-ball defender, averaging 1.9 stocks per game—assisted by his ginormous 6’10” wingspan—and voila, you have a uniquely multifaceted player. As far as weaknesses go, maybe he doesn’t get to the line as often as you’d hope and turns the ball over a tad much, but we’re nitpicking at that point. Sure, he’s had his share of bad shooting nights. Guess what? That was always going to be the expectation for someone who’s played 40% of their career games this season. Again, we need to remind ourselves that none of this is normal.

It makes you think, what type of contract would Rollins command on the open market if he became a free agent tomorrow? The fact that the Bucks have him locked in for this season and next for $4m annually is insane value and frankly, a representation of him being a free agent in the wrong year under the wrong circumstances. Van was the first to mention Andrew Nembhard—who makes about $20m per season—as a good analogue for who Ryan could become. I’m sorry, boss. I think he might be better than Nembhard right now!

Maybe the basketball gods threw the Bucks a bone with Rollins. Milwaukee seemingly benefited from the fact that he’d yet to be given a real chance. First, the former Toledo Rocket got drafted to a team that had quite literally just won a title, appearing in 12 games before breaking his foot. He was traded to Washington the following offseason, appearing in 10 games before being waived after revelations that he’d been caught shoplifting, ending up in Milwaukee. And sure, would Ryan have gotten that chance in Washington if he hadn’t let himself down off the court? Probably, but maybe some things are just meant to be.

In closing, the Bucks got one in this kid, and the team’s scouting department—which has gotten a lot wrong over the years—deserves serious recognition for identifying him. It’s not a stretch to say that decision alone will be franchise-altering. Will he become an All-Star? Will he top out as an elite fourth or fifth starter? Something in between? I have no clue. But whatever your prediction is, don’t be surprised when he inevitably exceeds it.

After all, this is Ryan Rollins we’re talking about.