When the Milwaukee Bucks promoted Cormac Ryan from their G League squad, many initially thought it was simply a nice gesture. "Sure, let's hand the G Leaguer a two-way deal to reward him for his solid play lately." It could have been that, but Ryan wasn't going to let that happen. With extended minutes in the Bucks' rotation lately, the wing is proving he belongs at this level.
Bucks suddenly have another rotation piece
Injuries have torn apart the Bucks lately, leaving few able bodies available. Ryan, seeing his first NBA action ever, has been among a short list of healthy players, and he's capitalized. In five outings this month, the wing is averaging 17.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Those aren't typically numbers you see from a player who spent most of the season down in the G League.
What has stood out the most is the shot-making. It's always been among Ryan's greatest strengths, as he told this writer in a November conversation. In this stretch, the wing is shooting 58 percent on his shot attempts, including a blistering 55.6 percent from deep. Both inside the arc and out, Ryan is always hunting for his next bucket, providing a versatile scoring attack that has raised eyebrows.
While the scoring has commanded the spotlight, Ryan is impacting the game in many different ways. First and foremost, he will always compete defensively. He's not the biggest or longest player, but he won't let that stop his competitive fire. Elsewhere, he has good eyes as a passer and is never afraid to get into a skirmish down low to hunt for rebounds. He's a true Swiss Army Knife.
It usually takes time for a player transitioning to find their footing, but Ryan has hit the ground running, serving as one of the few bright spots for the Milwaukee Bucks down the stretch.
Ryan looks like another Bucks gem
The Milwaukee Bucks should already be looking at ways to retain Cormac Ryan beyond this season. No, he won't be a needle-mover under any circumstances, but he's proving that he can be a nice role player in extended minutes. That's not a knock on him. In today's NBA, everything is about depth and having as many solid contributors as possible. Ryan fits into that idea.
If he finishes out the year strong, it wouldn't be shocking to see Ryan on the standard roster to open next season. The Milwaukee Bucks have made it a habit to find and reward two-way talents, and Ryan looks like he will be next in line. Given what he's put in film since being inserted into the rotation, there is little reason to be upset there.
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