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“I feel like the national media conversation isn’t always necessarily fair for smaller-market teams. As somebody that is from a smaller market, and I feel like my teams don’t necessarily get the same kind of recognition that they deserve, what are maybe some misconceptions that you would want to clear up about the city of Milwaukee, the Bucks fan base, and the Milwaukee Bucks franchise?” Ryan Rollins: “I would say the main thing is just recently, how LeBron said the whole thing about Milwaukee — and I think Memphis was the other city. Milwaukee is a great city. They’ve got great food spots. Everybody in Milwaukee is super friendly. There are a lot of hidden gems out there. But I think more so what he was trying to get toward was, if you’re a visiting team, it’s not really a lot to do. But if you’re from there, and you get to go around the city a little bit and meet people, it’s a great city. Everybody’s nice, everybody’s friendly, they’re welcoming, and they show a lot of love out there, too. Milwaukee is a great fan base, and I like it, man. It’s a low-key spot. I’m a low-key guy, so I guess it fits me.”
So with that being said, Taylor Jenkins, your new head coach — what kind of conversations have you had with him? How have you been able to get a relationship with him going so far?” Ryan Rollins: “Yeah, I mean, I haven’t called him, but I have texted him a couple times, too, just congratulating him and his family. It’s a good situation that we’re coming into, having a new head coach. I don’t know all that’s going to be switched around by the time next season comes, but I’m just ready to come in and make an impact, continue the growth, build a culture, and build a winning foundation. You know what I mean? That’s really what I’m keyed in on and ready for next season.”
Ryan Rollins is the new combo guard in Milwaukee that rival teams are chasing. When the Bucks explored the feasibility of trading for Memphis' Ja Morant earlier in the season, as part of their quest to upgrade the roster around Antetokounmpo, league sources say that the Grizzlies were seeking Rollins in any iteration of a Morant deal.
Rich Rovito: #Bucks injury report for Sunday's season finale against the #76ers in Philadelphia. OUT: Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension; bone bruise), Kyle Kuzma (right Achilles), Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee surgery), Bobby Portis Jr. (left wrist), Ryan Rollins (right thumb), Gary Trent Jr. (oblique strain), Myles Turner (left ankle sprain) Questionable: Gary Harris (right groin tightness), Pete Nance (right knee sprain)
Perseverance. That was the word that came to mind when Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins reflected on overcoming his challenges on the basketball court and when “s‑‑‑ hit the fan” off it. “Things don’t go how you wanted to in the first place, and then things hit the fan,” Rollins told Andscape. “And when those things happen, you can see two ways to go about it: You keep going, or you just stop. I didn’t stop. And as you keep going, do the things the right way — how they are supposed to be done — and hope for the best. “But at the end of the day, you put things in the right position, and God puts you in the right position where you’re supposed to be. And it meets up how it’s supposed to. Then, anything is possible. So, perseverance. Just keep going. S‑‑‑ hits the fan. Stuff don’t go how it’s supposed to. You just keep doing the right thing and keep going.”
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Rollins’ breakthrough season should place him among the contenders for this year’s NBA Most Improved Player award. The 23-year-old is averaging career highs of 17 points, 5.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 32.2 minutes per game, nearly tripling his scoring and assist output from last year. The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder’s 58 games played and 51 starts are also career bests — and the Bucks still have 22 games left in the regular season. Rollins and the Bucks host the Atlanta Hawks tonight on ESPN (9:30 p.m. ET). “I always knew I was this good,” Rollins said. “I just needed the opportunity and needed a coach to trust me to be able to let me work through my mistakes and grow. I always knew my capabilities.”
His Golden State tenure ended about five months later, when he, Jordan Poole and Patrick Baldwin Jr. were traded to the Washington Wizards for veteran guard Chris Paul. Though his time with the Warriors was short, Rollins said he learned a lot from sharing a locker room with two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry. “The main thing I would say is just his routine and how he went about it on and off the court,” Rollins said. “He had his routine on the court, what he did pregame, practices, how he was working out after practice. He was Steph Curry, but he was still acting like he was a rookie, in a way. He was very down to earth, very humble, communicated with you like he was just a regular person. “That was probably the biggest thing I took from him, was just his humbleness and how he was down to earth. And just because of who he was, it didn’t make him go about and interact with anybody else differently.”
Eric Nehm: Bucks injury report for Tuesday in Brooklyn: Out: G. Antetokounmpo (L Knee Hyperextension; Bone Bruise) Kuzma (R Achilles Tendonopathy) Porter Jr. (R Knee Synovitis) Portis Jr. (L Wrist Sprain) Rollins (R Hip Strain) Trent Jr. (L Hip Pointer) Turner (L Ankle Sprain)
Eric Nehm: FINAL: Bucks 131, Grizzlies 115 - Rollins 24pts/4reb/3ast - Ryan 21pts/4reb/3ast - Turner 19pts/11reb - Prince 19pts/3reb/3ast - Dieng 17pts/9reb/6ast - Sims 12pts/4reb/3ast The Bucks are now 31-47 on the season. They play next in Brooklyn on Tuesday.
Milwaukee Bucks: Injury Update: Ryan Rollins is available for today’s game vs. Memphis.
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Eric Nehm: FINAL: Bucks 123, Mavericks 99 - Rollins 24pts/7reb/9ast - Kuzma 20pts/6reb/3ast - Green 17pts/6reb/2ast - Trent 13pts/3reb - Dieng 11pts/10reb/5ast - Nance 11pts/6reb/3ast - Turner 10pts/8reb/2ast The Bucks are now 30-45 on the season. They play tomorrow night in Houston.
