Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins has been dominating in games without Giannis Antetokounmpo this season.
The Milwaukee Bucks were without franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo in Wednesday’s 111-100 loss at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets, but one silver lining from the upset was the fact that breakout guard Ryan Rollins was able to continue his torrid start to the season without Antetokounmpo on the floor.
Rollins led all scorers with 25 points in the loss, making 10-of-15 attempts from the field and four of six from three-point range. In two games without Antetokounmpo in the lineup this season, Rollins is averaging 28.5 points and seven assists per game on 63.9 percent shooting from the field overall and 70 percent from 3-point range.
“I think with Giannis out, everybody's got to be a little bit more aggressive,” Rollins said. “Me, literally everybody down the line has to be more aggressive. Look for your shots, simple as that.”
The third-year guard previously scored 32 points against his former team, the Golden State Warriors, with Antetokounmpo out of the lineup on Oct. 30. Rollins’ pair of outbursts sans Antetokounmpo are two of his three highest scoring totals in his NBA career, alongside a 25-point outing against the New York Knicks on Oct. 28.
Breakthrough Season
Rollins is averaging 17.3 points per game for the Bucks through 11 appearances, as he has found his way as a regular starter by playing an average of over 31 minutes per game. Last season in Milwaukee marked Rollins’ previous best in the pros, as he averaged then-career highs with 6.3 points and 14.6 minutes per game.
Unfortunately for Rollins, his teammates didn’t quite pick up the slack against Charlotte as they did against Golden State. Aside from Rollins, Myles Turner (21 points), Bobby Portis (14 points), and Larry Nance (10 points), Milwaukee scored just 30 points combined from the rest of its roster.
“We just didn't make a lot of shots, enough shots that we usually do,” Rollins said. “Besides that, I mean, offensive rebounds kind of hurt us, too, on the defensive end. I feel like we got to shoot more, get more shots up, play faster, move the ball a little bit more.
“We just got to help out and don't let it be a one-on-one contest. Really, just helping out in a situation like that and just going to get them.”
Tip-off for Friday’s game against the Hornets is set for 7 p.m. CST at Fiserv Forum.