Player Spotlight: Ryan Arcidiacono
In just his 2nd NBA season, the Bulls Point Guard has begun to shine.
Coming into the season, it seemed as though the Bulls point guard rotation was set. Kris Dunn would start and Cameron Payne would follow off the bench. To the dismay of fans, John Paxson and Gar Forman still seemed to be determined to make something out of Payne after acquiring him via a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in early 2017.
When Kris Dunn sprained his MCL at Dallas, ex-head-coach Fred Hoiberg decided that Payne would start in Dunn’s absence. He lasted 9 games. In those 9 games, Payne scored 9 points per game while playing nearly 23 minutes a game. Shooting below 40% in most outings, Cam was not getting the job done. In comes Ryan Arcidiacono.
Mr. Arcidacono spent the previous season with the Bulls G-League Affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, before getting a full-time call-up to the NBA for the 2018-2019 season. Sporting a backup role to Cameron Payne, Ryan came in an out shined him nearly every game. Shooting over 50% from 3 for a stretch of games between October 24th and November 7th while also being near the top of the league in Assist-to-Turnover ratio in that same span, Arci was making a case to start, and potentially become the backup of the future. On paper, he was better than Payne, but does he pass the eye test?
Yes. Yes he does. Ryan Arcidiacono brings attributes to the table that Cameron Payne does not possess; Strong leadership, Command of the Offense, and Hustle. It is true that Cam will get aggressive on defense, but he is nowhere near Arci. The hustle plays made by Ryan are phenomenal. Take a look:
Not one other player on the Bulls has made those kind of plays this season. Not one. Sure, Payne can be a hound on defense, but Arci plays defense just as well. He has smarts. He knows where to go with the ball. He knows where the ball is going. All of this has culminated in Ryan taking on the starting point guard role. He may not be at that spot very long, as Kris Dunn has returned(albeit on a minutes-restriction), though it should be encouraging to see the development of the young guy.
Perhaps my favorite part of Arcidiacono’s game, other than the hustle, is his overall awareness on both ends of the floor. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Ryan may often go underappreciated solely on the fact that not everything he does shows up in the box score. What shows up in the box score is just as impressive. Averaging 7.0 points a game in 28 minutes and 3.7 assists per game may not seem like a lot, but he makes plays when the Bulls need them the most.
Ryan Arcidiacono is perfectly suited for the backup PG role on this Bulls team. He is a great depth piece that should stick around throughout the rebuilding process. Bulls fans should be thrilled to have a player than can slot in so nicely behind Dunn.
Keep an eye on Arci next time you watch a Bulls game. He embodies what it means to be a Chicago Bull.
Featured Image via: NAM Y. HUH / AP
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