Bulls' Arcidiacono enjoyed suburban life, but is ready for a promotion
Bulls guard Ryan Arcidiacono knows suburban life.
He lived in Hoffman Estates and commuted to the city frequently last season as one of two "two-way players," along with Antonio Blakeney. A new invention designed to increase pay for certain G-League players, Arcidiacono split time between the real Bulls and Windy City Bulls.
Arcidiacono talked about last season's experience as he prepares for another season in Chicago.
Q: How was the experience of being a two-way player?
A: "It was good for me, because it was a way to get my foot in the door with an NBA team and try to convince them that I can play in the league. It was an easy transition because I was here in the summer with the big team in training camp, and we had a great group of guys last year. I would just never know if I would need to be there for (Bulls) practice (at the Advocate Center). Fred (Hoiberg) would call me in the morning and be like, 'Hey, make your way down here.' So I would have to just get up and go and luckily didn't hit traffic."
Q: Did you enjoy the Hoffman Estates life?
A: "Clearly, the ultimate goal is to always be an NBA player, but I enjoyed the suburbs. This was my first time really living in Chicago and it wasn't even in Chicago, it was Hoffman Estates. I made my way, had my nice little apartment and the Sears Centre was great; a great facility and we got some fans for the games. They did a great job of promotions to get families and little kids out to games, so it made a good environment."
Q: Any favorite suburban hangouts?
A: "I went to the Main Event place, took my girlfriend there when she came and visited. Woodfield Mall I found was a good spot to just kind of get out. But you're so tired after practices, and I'd have people visit and we would kind of make our way into the city. There's a lot of good food places out in the suburbs."
Q: You're trying to make the Bulls roster, but it's possible the team could ask you to be a two-way player again, is that accurate?
A: "It's a possibility. You never know. The ultimate goal is to be a full-time NBA player. I'm just approaching it with the same mindset I always do. Just try to be the toughest player on the floor every time. I have a good feel, since I was here last year, for what the coaches want and what their expectations are for me."
Q: You were up with the Bulls early last season and then again late when Kris Dunn was sidelined. You really improved over the course of the season. How did that come about?
A: "I think our head coach Charlie Henry and (assistant) Jannero Pargo and all of our coaches did a great job of helping me develop my game. They gave me more confidence in myself. I was always a confident player, but just being able to shoot the ball in rhythm and toward the end of the year when I was up with the big team, I felt more comfortable with what Fred wanted, and I felt like I belonged more, just having been through the G-League. Toward the end of the year, I was just playing. I wasn't thinking as much."
Q: How many championships will Villanova win before this run of glory ends?
A: "The run of glory's going to continue for a while, so who knows? You can't define your college season on if you win the championship because the tournament is such a crapshoot. But we've been fortunate to get hot at the right time and have a great coach (Jay Wright) who led us."