Taylor Jenkins made a noticeable tweak to the Milwaukee Bucks’ starting five on Monday night, turning to rookie guard Brayden Burries against the Minnesota Timberwolves and sitting Ryan Rollins.
The move came after a rough opening stretch for Rollins, who entered the night coming off a career season but has not found that same rhythm to begin this year. After averaging more than 17 points per game last season on 47% shooting from the field and 40% from 3, he has opened this campaign at 11 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 34.5% overall and 26.3% from deep. With Milwaukee off to a 1-5 start, Jenkins opted to shake things up and give Burries a shot.
Burries had already shown plenty in summer league and carried that into the preseason, where the scoring efficiency lagged but the production was there. He averaged 14 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game in that stretch, and the Bucks have been waiting to see more of that translate once the games counted.
His first career start didn’t provide the breakthrough on the scoreboard. In 26 minutes during Milwaukee’s 112-100 loss, Burries finished with nine points and nine rebounds while shooting 4-for-15 from the field and 1-for-7 from 3-point range. He hunted his shot early, especially in the first half, and got looks that simply didn’t drop.
Still, the rookie brought something Milwaukee wanted to lean into. Four of his nine rebounds came on the offensive glass, and he kept the ball moving and the tempo up even as the shots stayed cold.
That kind of pace is no accident for this Bucks team. Last season, Milwaukee ranked No. 23 in pace and last in fast break points per game.
This year, the numbers have flipped in a big way, with the Bucks sitting No. 2 in pace and No. 13 in fast break points per game.
That shift is part of what Jenkins is trying to build, and Burries fit the idea even on a night when the box score didn’t shine. He pushed the ball, got into the paint and kept attacking when his jumper wasn’t falling.
After the game, Jenkins pointed directly to that approach.
Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins said Brayden Burries was "playing with great pace" and "did a great job rebounding." "He missed some open ones," Jenkins said, but he's "excited for the opportunities that he's going to have ahead... the discipline it's going to take."
“I thought he was playing with great pace,” Jenkins said. “He was moving the ball.
We couldn’t make any shots. He missed some open ones.
I thought he got great looks. He did a great job rebounding.
Excited for the opportunities that he’s going to have ahead. Just understand the matchups he’s going to have, the discipline he’s going to take, and how it can be an engine for us on offense.
Ability to get downhill, and when the ball’s moving, he’s going to get those open shots and just keep letting him fly.”
It wasn’t the debut start Burries was hoping for, but he checked the boxes his coach wanted. With Milwaukee still searching for traction, more chances should be coming, and the next one arrives Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics.
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For Milwaukee, the early returns only sharpen the question of whether passing on a fast-rising talent like Lendeborg might come back to sting them. The age concerns that followed him into the draft have done little to slow his development so far, and his play is starting to look less like a short-term surprise and more like a sign of a higher ceiling than some teams were willing to project. [Read more 🡒]
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The more interesting question for Milwaukee is what comes next if the roster picture shifts later on. Kasparas Jakucionis is a name to watch as a possible future starter, but that path may not open up until much later, potentially after the trade deadline if Herro is moved. For now, the Bucks are keeping the focus on development and role clarity, even if the bigger lineup decisions are still waiting in the wings. [Read more 🡒]