Gary Trent Jr. is a Buck, so it’s time for another Q&A with Raptors HQ

After the Bucks signed Taurean Prince earlier this month, I wanted to get the inside scoop on what happened between him and returned Bucks assistant/then Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, so I asked some questions of Jacob Rude at Silver Screen and Roll, our Lakers sister site. With Gary Trent Jr. coming to Milwaukee a couple weeks after Prince and basically guaranteed to take on a big role for his new team, I went straight to another expert source. Below are some Trent questions I posed to Chelsea Leite, my colleague who is the site manager at our Toronto sister site Raptors HQ (plus a contributor to our women’s basketball site Swish Appeal) and her responses. I think you’ll find them fascinating!

Let’s start with a big one for Bucks fans: tell us about Trent’s defense. Is he good on-ball? Can he guard ballhandlers and/or bigger wings? How switchable is he?

GTJ’s defence was up and down during his time with Toronto. It started off rocky, got a lot better, and then faded quite a bit. He tends to guard ball handlers and can switch decently well, but often loses energy on that end these days. I will say his on-ball defence has been the thing that often shines through and he can get deflections and steals pretty well.

Trent has a reputation as a gambler on defense, being among the league leaders in steals and deflections during Nick Nurse’s final two years in Toronto. Those dropped off a touch last year; do you think that’s a Trent thing or the product of moving from Nurse’s hyperaggressive defense to what Darko Rajakovic installed?

It’s probably a mix of both. There wasn’t too much emphasis on defence under Darko’s system last year and I think that lack of focus made Trent lose his own defensive focus. Add in that he was trying to sort out his shooting and going from the bench to the starting lineup a lot and I think some confusion in his own role could have been a factor in this. I do think he has natural ability in that because he still did his thing despite more of the intensity and emphasis being on improving the offence last year.

How do you think Trent will fare as a defender in Doc Rivers’ more adaptive defense (i.e. switching everything sometimes, P&R traps one night then drop coverage the next) after he shifted it back from Adrian Griffin’s very Nurse-like scheme?

I have hope for him in those kinds of situations. I also think he is on a mission to prove himself this season and he’s also a very hard worker, so I see him buying in 100% to whatever system or plan he’s given. I also think his quick hands and ability to defend on-ball will come in handy, but his defence on the wings never fully stood out to me either. Trent thrived in Nurse’s system because of the aggressive and quickness of it, and how he was able to make sneaky plays at the ball, so if Doc can use that to their advantage again it could be fun.

Despite great three-point shooting numbers, Trent’s efficiency has been below average in recent years, and he seems to have somewhat of a reputation as a chucker. I could see some thinking he’s a ball-stop. Do you think that’s merited?

Yes and no. We always had a joke that Trent can’t make a shot unless it’s contested. I’ve seen him make the most contested three-pointers and then brick open looks. He’s hot and cold for sure, but when he’s hot, he is scorching. Everyone was waiting for him to make those great stretches longer last year because he can truly make an impact as a sharpshooter when he’s on. Yet, just as fast as he gets hot, he can get into a drought, and well… yeah that’s where the chucker reputation comes in.

What do you think Trent’s ideal role on a title contender is? Something like high-level role player, starter, sixth man, bench microwave scorer, or any combination of those?

I have two opinions here—the first is that he could be a REALLY great sixth man on a contender. He comes in with energy, experience, can ball-handle, and when he’s shooting well that’s a huge boost from the bench. Yet, Trent also has a habit of playing phenomenally as a starter compared to when he comes off the bench. Something about hearing his name called? So, if the Bucks are hurting for a starting shooting guard, I could see him sliding in there, but if he can find his rhythm as a sixth man he could thrive there too.

Can he be a fourth or fifth option after years of 20%+ usage in Toronto when Milwaukee’s fifth starter has been around the 15% range for the last several seasons?

Based on Trent’s market as a free agent this summer (and all of that fumble), I think Trent is going into this season ready to be whatever Milwaukee needs him to be. It’s kinda a make-or-break season for him. I can see him making the most out of the role he’s given—that being said, he needs to up his shooting stats, and if his usage is going down, his efficiency better be going up.

Are there any under-the-radar skills Trent has we should know about? He’s never shown much passing and rebounding ability, nor does he get to the line much, and I feel like none of those will change as a Buck because those are things I’d have said about Malik Beasley, Grayson Allen, etc. Maybe there’s something else?

Last season I really saw him come into his own as a leader. More mature, more vocal with younger players, better with media, etc etc. Definitely traits that will help on a title contender when everyone needs to be on their A-game every day during a long season. He’s also like, REALLY nice and kind and I don’t know if that matters much to you but it was always nice for me. He’s fun to talk to, a good sport, nice guy, and good in the locker room. A good chemistry fit, especially when you think about him reuniting with Lillard.

Super huge thanks to Chelsea for taking the time to fill me in a bit more about Trent! Check out her and her colleagues’ content at Raptors HQ and Swish Appeal, then follow her on Twitter @chelsealeite for more on everything Toronto and women’s hoops, including their soon-to-come WNBA franchise and both Canadian national teams.