3) Chicago Bulls that benefited under Boylen: Ryan Arcidiacono
Whether it be due to his underrated versatile skill set to command a second or third unit off the bench, or just his toughness and effort on both ends of the floor, former Villanova Wildcats point guard Ryan Arcidiacono surely was one of the Bulls surprises in the last two seasons. Arcidiacono wasn’t even expected to make an NBA roster just a few years back.
And now he has in the midst of a three-year contract that he earned with the Bulls last offseason.
Arcidiacono was an undrafted free agent signing of the Bulls following the 2017 NBA Draft. He made his NBA debut originally at the outset of the 2017-18 season, when Hoiberg was still the Bulls head coach. His role steadily grew over the course of his first two years in the NBA, but Arch really was a huge part of the backcourt rotation during the 2018-19 season.
His playing time went from just 23 games (with no starts) as a rookie to 81 games during the 2018-19 regular season (with more than 30 starts). He averaged 6.7 points per game, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 0.8 steals, during the 2018-19 season. And he shot a solid 44.7 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 87.3 percent from the free-throw line.
During the 2019-20 season with the Bulls, Arch’s role fell off due to the additions of Tomas Satoransky and rookie Coby White. But he still played in 58 games during the shortened 2019-20 regular season (four of which he started in). In those 58 games played, he averaged 4.5 points per game, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks. He shot 40.9 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, and a decreased 71.1 percent from the free-throw line.