Chicago Bulls: Three positives from season opener loss

Ryan Arcidiacono shined during his playtime off the bench

Ryan Arcidiacono made his case to be the Bull’s primary backup at the one, with Cameron Payne struggling to contribute much of anything over the course of the game.

Arcidiacono ended the game with eight points, eight assists, and four rebounds in 28 minutes of play. He only shot the ball four times, but hit two of his three point attempts.

He’s a low usage player on a team with a lot of high usage scorers who need the ball in their hands to be effective. He’s not a great penetrator by any means, which ultimately limits his ability to contribute on offense. Arcidiacono, however, does move the ball well and he fits seamlessly into any lineup that has other players that can score consistently. He flashed some ability to run the pick and roll as well last night, something he was relatively efficient at last year on a low volume.

He’ll never be the primary playmaker in an offense, but he still has potential to provide value in a backup role. If Jabari Parker can get his offensive game figured out, and when Portis returns to a bench role, Arcidiacono will have no problem playing alongside the two high volume big men.

Defensively, Arcidiacono was hit and miss last night, which was typical for him last year as well, but he still brings a much-needed energy to the Bulls’ defense. He doesn’t die on screens and does a good job recovering when he’s out of position.

Arcidiacono could benefit greatly from the hole in the Bulls’ roster at the point guard spot. Beyond Dunn, Chicago doesn’t have an answer yet at who should get major minutes. Tyler Ulis has a long way to go before he can contribute to an NBA roster, and Payne has done little to prove himself so far in his career. Expect Arcidiacono to get a lot of burn this season on a roster that has had trouble in the past bringing energy consistently.