Every great player has a go-to move, and for Bucks guard Ryan Rollins, that's been his silky-smooth signature stepback jump shot. The 24-year-old combo guard got his breakout opportunity and ran with it in the 2025-26 season, averaging 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals while proving himself as one of the best two-way backcourt players in the NBA.
To accomplish that, given the circumstances of his team, was a revelation and made him an unquestionable snub for the Most Improved Player Award, but it didn't come out of nowhere. Rollins showed flashes of his true potential over the previous year and a half in Milwaukee before finally getting to run some of the offense and prove his worth.
According to a recent analysis by Basketball University, Rollins not only took the eighth-most stepback jumpers in the league last year, but he was the second-most efficient of the bunch at making them. His 60.8% effective field goal mark on stepback jumpers was second only to the best guard in the NBA, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Reminiscent of the player he took over for in NBA legend Damian Lillard, Rollins has mastered the art of deceiving defenders into shifting their balance or direction before quickly popping backwards to separate and drain deep shots. It was a big reason why he was able to make more than 40% of his threes on more than six attempts per game.
Great teams need legitimate shot creators, and if Ryan Rollins can keep this up as he continues to grow in his role, he's going to be a problem for the Bucks' opposition.
If Ryan Rollins' stepback is as legit as it seems, the Milwaukee Bucks' backcourt will be in good hands for years to come.
Just like Ousmane Dieng this summer, the Bucks rescinded Rollins' qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last offseason to re-sign him on a team-friendly deal. Making $4 million per season over three years — with two more left, after his breakout campaign — Rollins is under one of the best value contracts in the entire NBA.
However, it's still a bit of a prove-it deal. Rollins cannot let his foot off the pedal if he wants to secure the hefty payday that he deserves, based on what he's showcased during his tenure in Milwaukee.
As the Bucks reevaluate their roster and figure out the right direction to go, it's the intimate details like Rollins' stepback 3-point efficiency that are going to help make hard decisions. What we know for sure is that Rollins is a capable shot creator who can score at all three levels and handle the ball well enough to be dangerous. He's also one of the better guard/wing defenders in the league and, despite having four years of NBA experience under his belt, is still young enough to keep growing.
The stepback is an extremely difficult move. There's a reason why so many of the best players in the league rely on it. So if Rollins' development as a stepback shooter is an indication of how far he can grow, the Milwaukee Bucks likely have one of their guards for the future already lined up in the backcourt. It's just a matter of empowering his continued development and putting a lineup around him that can eventually get back into Playoff contention.
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