The free agency addition of Gary Trent Jr. to Milwaukee was a highly-touted move that provided the Bucks with great value.
Trent Jr.’s signing on the veterans minimum was heralded by some as one of free agency’s biggest steals. After a rough start to the year, GTJ is proving them right.
The Beginning
With the departure of multiple role players, Trent Jr. was brought in to fill the new holes in their rotation. With the loss of Malik Beasley in free agency, the Bucks were ecstatic to sign a career 39% shooter from three. He brought a promise of improved shooting and a fresh face to the offensive scheme.
However, Trent Jr.’s introduction to Milwaukee was lackluster. During the Bucks’ 1-6 start, he produced 8.0 points per game in 29.5 minutes a night and shot 28.8% from the field and 23.1% from deep. These numbers accompanied the Bucks’ horrid beginning, which sent Milwaukee into a spiral.
Trent Jr.’s reputation as a catch-and-shoot threat was beginning to take a serious hit.
Adjusting to a smaller role proved to be a more significant challenge than most predicted, as Trent Jr. struggled to find his groove with Milwaukee. He was missing shots, missing rotations on defense, and missing the love of head coach Doc Rivers, who decided to cut his minutes to single digits.
The expectations that GTJ would ever become a staple off the bench began to dwindle.
Comeback Season
The comeback season started after a “loss” to the Hornets, which dropped them to 4-9 overall.
After that game, Milwaukee won seven straight. One key to this success was Gary Trent Jr.
During this winning streak, Trent Jr. raised his scoring average to 11.0 points per game, shooting 48.2% from the field and 55.6% from three.
Trent Jr. marked this comeback with tremendous improvement in his scoring while aiding a team desperate for an answer. GTJ kept his improvement steady after this stretch. In the next 25 games, he’s played with a whole other level of confidence
Through his last 25 games, Trent Jr. improved his scoring to 11.1 PPG on 49% from the field and 48.9% from three. He has managed to produce these numbers under nearly the same minute average, with 24.4 per night.
His improvements created a new shooting tandem off of the bench with teammate A.J. Green. They both shoot above 42% from three and 55% from the corner three this season.
Career Year
To the casual fan, Trent Jr. has had his lowest production since his sophomore year with the Trailblazers.
To Bucks nation, he’s been one of the bright spots off the bench for a team in major need of bench production. He’s done exactly what the Bucks needed him to do— and at an increasingly high efficiency.
Trent Jr.’s highest-scoring year came in the 21-22 season with Toronto, when he scored 18.3 PPG on 35 minutes per game. However, when it comes to scoring efficiency, he is setting career highs nearly across the board.
So far this year, he has shot 43.8% from the field, which is the second-best average in his career. His 42.4% from three has been his best season yet.
He’s also putting up career highs for effective field goal percentage (57.4%) and true shooting percentage (59.8%).
Trent Jr. has been a specialist from beyond the arc for his whole career, and with the Bucks, he has flourished. His shooting percentages are outstanding, and this new role has proven to be successful for himself and Milwaukee, even if it took time.
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