The Chicago Bulls have an interesting bench unit coming into the 2018-19 NBA season. Who should be the primary backup point guard?
The Chicago Bulls starting lineup is pretty much solidified for the time being. It sounds like Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, Jabari Parker, Lauri Markkanen and Robin Lopez will be the starting five.
It’s possible that the Bulls will go with rookie sensation Wendell Carter Jr. at the center position instead of Lopez, but that’s the only thing I can see changing in the near future.
That means the bench will likely be comprised of guys like Wendell Carter Jr., Bobby Portis, Justin Holiday, Chandler Hutchison, Denzel Valentine, Cameron Payne and Ryan Arcidiacono.
The backup point guard is an incredibly valuable position on every competent NBA team. Let’s look at Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors, for example. VanVleet didn’t start in a single game last season (playing behind All-Star Kyle Lowry), but he was one of the most important players on their team – the team that ended up with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
In only 20.0 minutes per game last season, VanVleet averaged 8.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from 3-point range. He also only turned the ball over 1 time per game. That level of efficiency and ball security is crucial to being a quality backup point guard.
While it’s unrealistic to assume every time will have a backup point guard of VanVleet’s quality, it’s still nice to have something to aim for. VanVleet raised the bar and now it’s up to the rest of the league to match it.
Who should be the Bulls backup point guard?
Now that Jerian Grant isn’t on the roster anymore, the Bulls have two true point guards on their bench: Ryan Arcidiacono and Cameron Payne. It’s tough to decide who should get the majority of minutes but it’s going to be a decision that affects the win total for this team.
Drafted 14th overall in the 2015 NBA draft, Cameron Payne comes with more potential. The word “potential” tends to be associated with some level of risk, though. Last season, Payne averaged 8.8 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from 3-point range.
The field goal percentage could be better but those are pretty decent numbers overall.
Arcidiacono didn’t put up nearly the same averages as Payne but he also played in roughly half as many minutes. With Dunn, Grant and Payne all trying to find their role on the roster last year, the opportunity just wasn’t there for Arcidiacono.
Now, Arcidiacono has a real chance to prove he belongs on the court more. He’s a solid defender, an absolute workhorse and has a history of winning. The ceiling might not be as high for Arcidiacono but the floor isn’t as low. You know what you’re going to get with him, and on a team full of uncertainties, it would be nice to have some consistency at the backup point guard position.
The numbers say Cameron Payne should be the backup point guard, but my eye test is telling me otherwise. Don’t get me wrong – I love Cameron Payne and I’m happy he’s on the roster, but I would love to see Arcidiacono get the majority of minutes as the primary backup ball-handler.