Ryan Rollins hasn’t looked like the player Milwaukee expected to see to open the new season, and that has put the Bucks in search of a fix. One possible answer is already on the roster: Kasparas Jakucionis.
Last season, Rollins found real success playing next to a guard who could create for others. Kevin Porter Jr. was that guy.
Even with Porter missing a good chunk of the year because of injury, the two still clicked when they shared the floor. Porter delivered the ball to Rollins 343 times, the most of any teammate, and Rollins made the most of those looks by shooting 44.9 percent overall and 42.6 percent from 3-point range on those passes.
That kind of setup is missing now. With Porter gone and Rollins starting beside Tyler Herro, the guard has not had the same passing partner to feed him in rhythm.
The production has dipped with it. Rollins is averaging 11.2 points while shooting 34.2 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Not all of that can be pinned on the change around him, but it’s clear the Bucks aren’t getting the same version of him.
Jakucionis, meanwhile, has quietly become a more important piece in Milwaukee’s passing game. He’s only sixth on the team in minutes, but he has already handed out the second-most passes on the roster. The pure point guard label fits, and the more he plays, the more obvious it becomes that he can help organize the offense and get teammates into better spots.
That doesn’t mean Taylor Jenkins needs to yank Herro from the starting group or move Jakucionis out of the second unit, where he has continued to stand out. But there’s room to use him more with Rollins. So far, the two have logged just 25 minutes together, and that small sample has produced Milwaukee’s best net rating among two-man combinations that have played at least that much.
The connection has barely been tapped. Jakucionis has only set up Rollins for eight passes in those minutes, but his broader impact is already showing up elsewhere. He has helped fuel strong stretches for Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware, who are shooting 53.8 percent and 46.7 percent, respectively, off his passes this season.
The Bucks aren’t in panic mode, and there’s no reason they should be. The season is still young, and chemistry takes time. But with Rollins struggling the way he has, giving him more chances to run alongside Jakucionis feels like a move worth making.
In Other News...
Bucks Suddenly Face A Tough Jaime Jaquez Jr Decision
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has quietly become one of the more interesting names in the Bucks orbit, and not just because of what he has done on the floor. His production and team-friendly contract make him the kind of player front offices like to keep around, which is exactly why any talk of moving him has to be weighed carefully. For Milwaukee, the appeal is obvious: he is useful now and still has room to grow, a combination that usually makes a player harder to pry loose than his profile might suggest.
Still, the speculation keeps circling because Oklahoma City has the kind of assets and roster flexibility that can turn a theoretical deal into a real conversation. The Thunder need help on the perimeter after injuries thinned that part of the roster, and they also have the draft-pick stockpile to chase a player like Jaquez if they decide he is worth the push. For the Bucks, the question is whether a strong young contributor is the sort of piece they can afford to discuss at all, even in a deal that remains firmly in the realm of analysis for now. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Suddenly Put Cleveland In A Spot It Can't Afford To Blow
The first Central Division meeting of the season arrives with Milwaukee still trying to settle into life after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to Miami, and the Bucks have not exactly looked like a team ready to make things easy on anyone. Even in a rebuilding phase, they still have enough recognizable pieces to make this a useful measuring stick for Cleveland, especially with Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. giving Milwaukee a different kind of perimeter punch than the Bucks have featured in recent years.
For the Cavaliers, this is the sort of game that can quietly matter later, because it is the kind of matchup contenders are supposed to handle while also using the night to keep developing depth in the rotation. Milwaukees early-season struggles open the door, but they also make the Bucks dangerous in a different way, since a team searching for traction can be unpredictable. Cleveland gets the chance to bank a division win and keep building momentum, but it cannot afford to treat this one like a routine stop. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Herro Is Giving Bucks Fans One Real Reason For Hope
Through the Bucks first five games, Tyler Herro has been one of the clearest bright spots in an otherwise rough start. He has given Milwaukee a steady scoring punch, filling up the box score with points, rebounds and assists while also knocking down threes at a sharp clip, the kind of production that can keep an offense afloat even when the results are not there yet.
What stands out even more is how efficiently Herro has done it, especially as a pull-up shooter. Among high-volume players taking those shots, he has been the NBAs most efficient, and that matters for a Bucks team still searching for rhythm and answers after opening the year 1-4. Even in a small sample, his play has offered a real reason for optimism, and a reminder that Milwaukee may already have one dependable weapon it can build around. [Read more 🡒]