With so many players injured, the Milwaukee Bucks turned to Cormac Ryan to fill out their rotation in a recent matchup against the LA Clippers. The two-way wing, who had been used scarcely over the last few games, finally earned an opportunity to showcase what he could bring to this team, and he didn't disappoint whatsoever.
Cormac Ryan catches eyes against Clippers
Ryan logged 20 minutes off the bench against LA, which was more than the 19 minutes he totaled in his prior three performances since being promoted. He made the most of the extra time, totaling 13 points and a steal on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-5 from distance, while shooting a perfect 2-of-2 at the foul line.
What stood out the most was the confidence. As mentioned, this was the first legitimate opportunity of Ryan's NBA career. He could have been nervous and passed up good shots to teammates, trying not to overstep. Instead, he made it clear that he's not afraid to hunt for his own shots when he has an opening, no matter how slight.
For his first points of the game, Ryan drove to the rim despite being hounded by relentless defender Kris Dunn, finishing over him with a tough layup. The rest of the night was all about threes, with Ryan not even thinking twice after getting a pass from Ousmane Dieng in transition for the first make. His lone steal of the night led to a transition three, and then he sank another off a Taurean Prince pass.
The Milwaukee Bucks lost, a common theme lately, but Ryan was undoubtedly a bright spot.
Cormac Ryan can carve out a role for himself
Milwaukee's injury woes aren't going away anytime soon. With eight games left to play, Ryan will likely earn playing time to help get the Bucks across the finish line, and he must capitalize. He just saw Pete Nance earn a promotion to a standard contract after playing most of the season on a two-way, and if he plays well down the stretch, perhaps the same honor could come to Ryan in the summer.
To truly make his mark at the NBA level, Ryan has to keep shooting the lights out. He knows this, as it is exactly what he told this writer when we chatted last November. "Continue being a shot-maker. That's what I do. I shoot the ball at a high level," was what he said when asked what he brings to the basketball court.
Now, he gets to do it on the big stage with the Milwaukee Bucks. It's hard to judge the wing entirely off of one legitimate NBA opportunity, but the early returns were undoubtedly positive.
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