From the outside looking in, combo guard Ryan Rollins was the breakout headliner in an otherwise tumultuous 2025-26 season for Milwaukee, but the young Bucks are only just getting started. The 24-year-old is expected to handle a significant workload for Milwaukee this year as their starting point guard on a team that's resetting its culture and re-learning what it takes to be a winning team, on and off the court.
That shift means that Rollins is no longer the young guy in the locker room, whose voice may fall by the wayside. Now entering his fifth year in the league, he'll be looked to as a voice of reason and someone who can control the tempo of an offense that's expected to shock a lot of unsuspecting opponents in the Eastern Conference.
Rollins is embracing that role in a meaningful way, telling reporters after a recent practice that despite the growing pains of his new role, he's committed to "just growing, day by day and getting better with everything they're asking of me: leadership, controlling the offense, playing with pace, being an initial thrust on both ends of the court."
Rollins is ready for more responsibility.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 19, 2026
Froedtert & MCW Practice Report. pic.twitter.com/Drx8DcgQxh
He admits that it won't be easy, and he's preparing to be ranked higher on opponents' scouting reports. But at the end of the day, Rollins has the trust of the Bucks fandom, players, coaching staff, and front office. With that type of confidence backing him, there's no limit to how much Rollins can grow in his role in the 2026-27 season.
Ryan Rollins is primed to blossom into the player Milwaukee Bucks fans always imagined he could be.
The beauty of Rollins' game is that he doesn't need the ball in his hands to dominate. He shot just a tick under 42% from 3-point range on catch-and-shoot jumpers last year, which was part of what made him such a great tertiary option next to Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the day. But his knack for creating his own shot didn't fall too far behind, either, posting a stellar effective field goal percentage of 52.6 percent on pull-ups, many of which were self-created.
Furthermore, Rollins is an effective player when attacking the rim, giving him three-level scoring upside that forces opponents to pick up on him and, at times, drift away from their own assignments to help on Rollins. That opens up clear passing lanes for a team full of players constructed to find space on the perimeter for 3-point shots, or cut to the lane for points at the rim.
Rollins had all the criteria he needed for the Most Improved Player Award in 2026, with significant stat increases across his entire stat line while maintaining elite offensive efficiency. It wouldn't be surprising to see that number fall a little bit in his role, but there's a pathway for him to become a much better player in a season when the Bucks are giving him the reins and constructing a team that leans into his strengths.
Who knows — maybe he'll run away with the Most Improved Player award this year, if everything breaks right for the Bucks.
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