The Milwaukee Bucks came into this season full of questions.

The team’s decision to waive and stretch Damian Lillard in the offseason helped them bring in center Myles Turner, but their roster still had several gaps heading into opening night. Among the top concerns surrounding these Bucks was their lack of guard depth and who among their players would step up to become their second option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Most expected Kevin Porter Jr. to step up and fill this role, yet he was sidelined after just one game with an ankle injury. This left a void in Milwaukee’s point guard rotation which pushed fourth-year guard Ryan Rollins into the starting line-up.

Rollins, the 44th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, came into the season as a relative unknown. Though he started 19 contests for the Bucks last season, he was quite unspectacular with averages of 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in those games. 

Many expected Porter’s injury to cripple Milwaukee, but instead, it has paved the way for Rollins to go on a breakout run that has revived the optimism around this team. Through the team’s first four games of the season, Rollins has established himself as the team’s second-leading scorer, with an average of 15.3 points along with 3.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and a league-leading three steals per game.

The grit and tenacity that Rollins brings to the floor has changed the complexion of this Bucks team. It seems to have reenergized Antetokounmpo who has thrived playing off Rollins’ relentless energy.

Rollins was given a prime opportunity to run this team and has thrived. It now seems like the starting point guard spot is his to lose, even when Porter returns from his injury, especially following Milwaukee’s latest win. 

Heading into their game against the visiting Golden State Warriors, it was announced that Antetokounmpo would miss the game with knee soreness. Most expected that the Bucks would proceed to get blown out against a complete Warriors team, yet Rollins had other plans. 

The 23-year-old guard took control of the team and dropped a career-high 32 points. He also had five three-pointers, three rebounds, and eight assists as he led Milwaukee to a shocking 120-110 victory. Rollins buried two crucial fourth-quarter threes. The first sparked the Bucks’ game-deciding run, pushing their lead to five with under four minutes left; the second sealed the win, putting to rest Golden State’s final rally and setting the final score with 23 seconds remaining.

The season is still in its early phases, but Rollins seems to have already answered a lot of questions for Milwaukee. If he can keep this up, he could very well be the player that keeps Antetokounmpo content enough to stay with the Bucks–at least in the short term.

Rollins is further proof that everyone in the NBA is supremely talented and that sometimes, all that separates a player from the rest of the field is whether or not they are ready to seize the opportunity when it arrives.