Tyler Herro is listed as questionable for the Milwaukee Bucks’ Tuesday night game against the New York Knicks because of a knee contusion, leaving open the possibility that the team’s best player will sit when the defending NBA champions visit.
If Herro cannot go, the burden shifts to a guard whose season has gone the opposite direction of his — Ryan Rollins.
Whether Herro plays or not, one reality is unavoidable: he will not be at full strength. And with Milwaukee sitting at just 1-9 on the season, the Bucks cannot afford another night in which their supporting cast does not answer the bell.
Herro has been comfortably the Bucks’ top player this season, leading the team in scoring while being tied for the lead in assists. He is averaging 21.4 points per game, a figure that has to be replaced from somewhere if he is unavailable against New York.
If Herro sits, Rollins will likely start in his place. If Herro plays, Rollins would come off the bench but should still see an uptick in responsibility either way.
Rollins is the ideal candidate to take on some of that load, but he is coming from a long way back. He has regressed mightily compared to a season ago, and his role has been rapidly decreasing. Tuesday night could be his shot to prove he deserves more minutes, not fewer.
Ryan Rollins and Tyler Herro today pic.twitter.com/5WXoEKSM95
Above all else, this would be a good time for a scoring breakthrough. If Herro sits, Milwaukee will be without its 21.4-point-per-game scorer, and those touches must go somewhere.
There is a fitting historical note here as well. The entire reason Rollins broke through last season was injuries to key players, and it would be fitting if an injury is the reason he finally gets back on track. Sitting at 1-9, the Bucks desperately need their guard to find his groove.
It would be hard to argue that anyone but Rollins is the most disappointing Milwaukee Bucks player this season. Myles Turner has been bad, but expectations around him were never as high as they were for Rollins — a player many thought would be the best the Bucks employ this season. That has not happened. Not even close.
If his struggles persist, it would not be surprising to see the Bucks field trade offers. Rollins is set to become a free agent next summer, and Milwaukee is already leaning on its young guards, Brayden Burries and Kasparas Jakucionis.
The logic for the front office is straightforward: opening up even more minutes for Burries and Jakucionis while getting assets for Rollins — rather than potentially losing him for nothing — is worth exploring.
That scenario only applies if he struggles, though. If Rollins gets back on the right track, the trade chatter could die down on its own.
Everything starts with his performance Tuesday night against the Knicks. Even when fully healthy, the Bucks have issues; an injury to one of their key players only magnifies them.
A statement game from Rollins would not fix a 1-9 season, but it would give Milwaukee a reason to believe its guard rotation is deeper than it has looked — and give the front office a reason to hold off on the phone calls.
