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The shot is instantly recognizable.
It’s been more than two years since Rashad Vaughn played for UNLV, but his shooting form hasn’t changed a bit. Now heading into his third season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Vaughn’s shot remains a thing of beauty — compact, fluid, smooth and, most of all, accurate. His sweet jumper was the foundation of Vaughn’s game as a Rebel, and it’s his calling card as an NBA player.
The rest of his game isn’t so familiar. After two years in the NBA, the Bucks know what Vaughn can do as a shooter, so he was sent to the Las Vegas Summer League this week with specific orders: Expand your game and show progress as an all-around player.
Vaughn has done his part to carry out that mission this week. Instead of camping out at the 3-point line, the 6-foot-5 guard has been bringing the ball up the floor, running pick-and-rolls and initiating more offense than Rebels fans might remember.
So far, the Bucks’ plan to round out Vaughn’s skill set and make him a more valuable player has been a success. Through three games, he is averaging 21.3 points and shooting 64.1 percent from the field, and on Sunday he posted 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting (3-of-7 from 3-point range) in an 88-83 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
“I think I’m progressing a lot,” Vaughn said. “From a mental standpoint, from a physical standpoint, and I’m starting to understand the game a lot more.”
Vaughn was a first-round pick in the 2015 draft, but after appearing in just 41 games last season (11.2 minutes per contest), his spot with the Bucks is not a given. Milwaukee has a young, talented roster capable of winning now, and Vaughn’s role going forward will depend on how he diversifies his game.
In addition to his increased offensive duties, Vaughn has also taken on the challenge of defending at the point of attack. An indifferent defender in college, Vaughn has picked up his intensity in summer league play.
“I think defensively I’ve gotten a lot better since I got here with Milwaukee,” he said. “We’re a defensive-based team, so we preach that a lot and I think I’ve gotten better defensively.”
If Vaughn can carry his strong summer performance into the regular season, he could be in line for a spot in the Milwaukee rotation in 2017-18. And with the Bucks coming off an impressive playoff run and looking like one of the NBA’s premier up-and-coming teams, that’s plenty of motivation for a former one-trick pony like Vaughn.
“Last year was fun,” Vaughn said. “Just being a part of the playoffs, man, it motivates me a lot to be with this young team and to know where we’re headed. With Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and where he’s going, and Jabari [Parker], Khris [Middleton] — we’ve got a great team, a great core, and I’m excited to see what we’re going to do.”
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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