On March 2, in the game of the century between the Hawks and the Bulls, Trae Young scored 49 points, 8 rebounds and 16 assists, stealing all the limelight. However, Hawks center Alex Len also performed very well. He played 36 minutes off the bench and made 9 of 12 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers. He scored 24 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. , the Hawks were able to play four overtimes with the Bulls, and he contributed a lot.
On March 4, the Hawks and Bulls met again, but in this game, Trae Young was whistled for his second technical foul at 9 minutes and 20 seconds of the third quarter and was ejected. Ryan took over the offensive banner. In 27 minutes, he made 9 of 18 shots, including 5 of 8 three-pointers, and scored 28 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks, helping the Hawks win 123-118.
Lian plays very well under the basket and beyond the three-point line. Defensively, he is also a barrier in the penalty area. Many fans will ask, where does this Ryan come from?
In the 2013 NBA Draft, the Cavaliers, who had the No. 1 pick, selected Bennett, which greatly surprised some people. Noel and Ryan were once considered candidates for the No. 1 pick. Ryan also claimed on draft night that he was more suitable to be the No. 1 pick than Noel. He is indeed a little better than Noel. He was picked by the Suns with the fifth overall pick. Noel was not selected by the Pelicans until the sixth overall pick due to injury concerns.
Ryan is 2.16 meters tall and is a center player from Ukraine. He attended the University of Maryland and played for the school for two seasons, averaging 9.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
In the 13-14 season, the Suns had only one Myles Plumlee inside, but the coach did not give Ryan a chance. Although he was the fifth pick, he only averaged 8.6 minutes of playing time per game, which was a waste of a season. In his second season, he averaged 22 minutes per game, and his data improved to 6.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Ryan's advantage is that he has the offensive skills of a European center, as well as excellent rebounding and shot-blocking abilities.
In the 16-17 season, the four-year contract he signed with the Suns expired, and the Suns provided him with a one-year qualifying offer of 4.2 million. He stayed for another year, averaging 8.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. , played as a substitute center. With the Suns selecting Deandre Ayton in the draft, Len decided to go elsewhere. So, he signed with the Atlanta Hawks with a two-year contract worth 8.5 million.
This season, Ryan averaged 19.1 minutes per game, contributing 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 0.9 blocks. Because the Hawks have Dedmon and Collins inside, Ryan can only play a role as a substitute. As a blue-collar insider who once focused on inside offense, Ryan has a strong desire to survive. He knows that with the way he has played in the past, he can only sign a mid-level contract. So he practiced extra during the offseason, developed his three-point shooting ability, and became a space-based inside man.
In the five seasons he played for the Suns, his three-pointers in each season were as follows: no three-pointers in the 13-14 season, 1 of 3 in the 14-15 season, and 1 of 3 in the 15-16 season. 1 of 7 field goals in the season, 3 of 12 field goals in the 16-17 season, and 1 of 3 field goals in the 17-18 season. However, after coming to the Eagles, he has made 117 three-pointers, hitting 41 of them, with a three-point shooting rate of 35%, which is enough to be a threat.
Continuously hitting 24+12, 28+9+2, this is an opportunity for the Eagles to reflect. Ryan was born in 1993, and Dedmon was born in 1989. Moreover, Dedmon's contract expires after the 18-19 season, so Ryan has more training value. Ryan should be given the starting lineup and partnered with Collins, so that the Hawks will have a good lineup next season.