As all Bulls fans know, there hasn’t been many bright spots this season. The team has been riddled with injuries since day one and the “Next Man Up” mentality is alive and well. One player on the Bulls has taken that mentality and ran with it, his name is Ryan Arcidiacono.
The man known as “Archi”, has had himself quite the season thus far. Ryan comes from Villanova where he helped the team bring home a National Championship against North Carolina.
The San Antonio Spurs signed Ryan in 2016 and he went undrafted and he spent some time in the G League with the Austin Spurs. After his time was up in Texas, the Bulls brought him over in 2017 on a two-way contract where Ryan saw time with the Windy City Bulls and main roster time with the Chicago Bulls. Archi played well enough to earn himself a contract this year and man, has he taken advantage of the opportunity.
Kris Dunn started the year off missing time due to the birth of his first child, then sprained his MCL in his first game. Cameron Payne has not performed well enough to hold down the starting PG spot and Archi was there to seize the opportunity.
The numbers aren’t flashy, but Ryan has been effective in his starts and his role off of the bench.
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 24 | CHI | NBA | PG | 21 | 10 | 28.7 | 2.8 | 6.0 | .472 | 1.9 | 4.2 | .455 | 0.9 | 1.8 | .514 | .632 | 0.7 | 0.9 | .789 | 0.1 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 8.2 |
The offense just seems to have more flow to it and runs a lot more natural and free when he’s in the game. Ryan does a great job at setting his teammates up and getting them open looks as well as knocking down the shots he needs to take. Archi is shooting 47% from the field and 45% from deep range making him a threat to put the ball in the basket when the team needs.
Over his last two games, Archi has scored a career-high 22 points and helped keep his team in both ball games finishing with a positive in the +/- column.
"It feels like there are 5 Ryan Arcidiaconos out there." – Stacey King
Another great game from @RyArch15, as he put up 22 points (including 5 triples), 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists in tonight's game: pic.twitter.com/Jj6cBjWiEc
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 29, 2018
When Kris Dunn returns he will most likely take back the starting role, as it’s his to lose. Although that shouldn’t bounce Archi out of the rotation. Ryan has played well enough to earn the back PG spot and deserves to lead the second unit off the bench. The kid is highly skilled and plays with so much heart, it’s refreshing to see.
No doubt he should replace Cameron Payne in the rotation and earn himself another contract here in Chicago. Bulls fans love guys that play with “Heart, Hustle, and Muscle”.
The RISE of @RyArch15! #ChangeTheGame
After 2 #NBAGLeague seasons, including 2017-18 with the @WindyCityBulls, the former @NovaMBB 🏆 has emerged as a starter with the @ChicagoBulls, shooting 44% from 3 & notching a CAREER-HIGH 22 points last night. pic.twitter.com/dD0AbUPZhS
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) November 27, 2018
Every team needs a player like this on their team. Someone who plays every game like it’s their last and gives it their best effort every night.
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