Ryan Rollins’ move to the bench looked like a jolt, but it does not have to be a warning sign about his Milwaukee future.
In the Bucks’ matchup with Minnesota, Rollins was no longer in the starting five. Taylor Jenkins went with Brayden Burries instead, giving the rookie his first NBA start and sliding Rollins into a reserve role. It was a notable change, especially this early, but it may be more of a reset than a rejection.
Rollins had been struggling, and the adjustment makes sense on that front. His best stretch last season was tied in part to Kevin Porter Jr.’s passing, which helped create cleaner looks for him. That kind of setup was not there with Tyler Herro, but coming off the bench could give Rollins more time alongside Kasparas Jakucionis, who is more than willing to set up teammates.
That is the bigger idea here: this may simply be Jenkins trying to find a better fit. Rollins was not meeting expectations as a starter, so Milwaukee is changing the picture and seeing whether a different role helps him rediscover his form. Sometimes that kind of shake-up is exactly what a player needs.
And Rollins is not the only one whose role is being reworked. Nate Ament has replaced Ousmane Dieng in the rotation, another sign that Jenkins is willing to keep experimenting. If the Rollins move does not produce the desired result, there is no reason to think Jenkins will hesitate to adjust again.
That leaves Burries at the center of it. If the rookie shines in this new spot, it may be hard to take it away from him. Jenkins has made it clear early on that player development matters to him, and he will want to keep seeing what Burries can do.
If Burries struggles and Rollins starts looking more like himself again, the starting job could swing back the other way. For now, though, Jenkins needs to see how this version of the Bucks looks before making another call.
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