Cormac Ryan just got ranked 18th on the roster, but projecting his actual role this season? Man, that’s way tougher than you’d think. This dude just busted down the door last year, dropping a wild 14.3 points per game in 11 NBA contests to end the season. He seriously balled out, and now the team’s gotta figure out what to do with him.
Dude Went Off: How Ryan Shocked Everyone
Ryan spent some time bouncing around the league, and honestly, he started last year playing for the Herd. You gotta believe at 27 years old, he wasn’t even on the Bucks’ radar when the season kicked off. But credit where it’s due: he kept grinding, kept knocking on that door until he got his shot, and then he just absolutely took advantage. In those final 11 NBA games, he wasn’t just scoring, he was doing it efficiently, averaging 14.3 PPG on .52/.45/.92 splits! It was genuinely shocking how natural the NYC native looked out there. He did everything you’d want from a fourth or fifth starter, even hitting some advanced shots in the lane. We saw him drop 25 points on 9/14 shooting against what was a mostly healthy Rockets team. That’s no fluke, people. Most NBA players can’t even get close to that.
Pump the Brakes: What His Ceiling Really Is
Alright, before we crown him the next superstar, let’s pump the brakes just a tad. We gotta remember a couple of things: a lot of those end-of-season games weren’t exactly serious basketball, and there wasn’t a scouting report on Ryan for teams to use. He basically got to play consequence-free hoops against guys who had no clue who he was. Still, you can’t deny there’s clearly something there to explore with this guy. The big issue? The minutes just aren’t there for the Bucks to actually do that exploring. And to be real, I’m confident saying Ryan’s ceiling as a player doesn’t go beyond that fourth or fifth starter, or a tertiary creator role. He’s not a primary option, and he never will be. We saw that pretty clearly at Summer League when he was entrusted to be the lead guard with high usage. It was not pretty, like, at all. He averaged 11.0 PPG, 1.5 APG, and 3.5 TPG on ugly .35/.35/.40 splits.
So, you’ve got this wild duality: he absolutely killed it in a specific, siloed role at the NBA level, then completely stunk it up at a much lower level when he had a significantly bigger role. To me, that really nails down what he is, and more importantly, what he isn’t. The coaching staff absolutely needs to find pockets this season to get Ryan into the rotation and keep gathering data on him. Was last season’s flurry a flash in the pan, or was it more? There’s only one way we’re going to find out. Here’s hoping he gets that chance.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Brew Hoop.
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