"Dalen Terry" scouting report: The Bulls' No. 18 selection

Thursday night, after much speculation, the Chicago Bulls maintained their first-round draft choice and picked Arizona's Dalen Terry with the 18th overall selection.

Terry, who is 19 years old and is 6 feet 7 inches tall, averaged eight points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game as a sophomore.
 

Here is a summary of Terry's strengths, flaws, and suitability for Chicago.

Strengths Consensus four-star, top-50 recruit for the class of 2020. He had a season of growth as a freshman since he needed to gain strength. Debuted as a sophomore. Was an integral part of one of the finest teams in the nation, helping Arizona win the Pac-12 and earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Defense team as a threatening player who had an effect on both ends.

With a height of 6 feet 7 inches and a wingspan of 7 feet 1 inches, the NBA wing's size and build are phenomenal. Has exceptional lateral speed and is an authentic NBA player. Simply flies around out there. A very active individual who consistently provides his team with vitality. On top of that, he has a never-ending motor and a really energetic attitude. A pleasant presence on the court, someone who plays with a great deal of flair and enjoyment.

It is all about Terry's ability to make things happen offensively. With the ball in his possession, he is a phenomenal playmaker due to his vision and decision-making. Grabs and dribbles on the break and makes quick choices that lead to clean looks on 3-point kickouts or near the basket. If he gets a lane he can fill, he attacks the rim at a high level with a great deal of vertical explosiveness. Together with uolas Tubelis and Christian Koloko, provided accurate reads in transition towards the basket or on lobs in half-court situations as they waited in the dunker position. Excellent at ball screening. I believed Arizona's offense functioned more efficiently with him at quarterback than with Kerr Kriisa. He also delivers some great bounce passes to cutters from the corner for easy baskets through tight windows, so I believe he is somewhat more adept at focusing on the rim than on kickouts. Given how aggressive he can be as a playmaker with some of his readings, his 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is fairly astonishing. Thrown enough passes with a high degree of difficulty for this number to have been higher.

Has become a better scorer. Constantly accessible as a presence of distinction. Plays deftly. By the conclusion of the year, he had shown his ability to make catch-and-shoot jumpers. Made 35.6% of threes and 34.4% of catch-and-shoot attempts. Currently, Terry must remain motionless and immobile, but he can create them if given the opportunity. Able to handle the ball and attack the basket against closeouts. He rises to dunk and completes his length. In addition, he utilizes his length well near the basket when not dunking, displaying entertaining inside-hand finishes and long-armed floaters. According to Synergy, he converted 55.4% of his finishes at the rim, a respectable percentage for a guy who produced plenty of those opportunities.

Terry's defensive end is his strongest position. He earned All-Defense honors in the Pac-12 by flying everywhere. He is a very aggressive on-ball defender. Utilizing his length, he attacks an opponent player's dribble and burrows into his area. It irritates the peripheral wings. Understands how to enter a player's area on drives while simultaneously backpedaling and avoiding foul calls. Currently, he may be more effective against smaller perimeter players than against wings. He battles through screens very effectively by thinning out and never giving up on the play, virtually always winning from behind. Even if he receives a touch from the other player, he fights through the contact by bringing his front leg around and swimming through. Utilizes a combination of speed and length to devour opponents.

Terry is a very aggressive assist defender. Exhibits excellent anticipation off the ball. Sometimes makes rotations that seem to be early on the ball, but he is really reading the play and coming so swiftly to the action that he may double and block a shot at the rim or go for a strip. Passing lanes are shot with ease, and turnovers are forced. Enjoys attempting to get out in transition for easy baskets by stealing the ball. You must constantly be aware of his whereabouts; else, you are finished. — Sam Vecenie
 

Weaknesses

His physical physique is quite undeveloped at the moment. He should have little trouble gaining weight, although he is sometimes too easily pushed about. Early in his career, he will likely encounter some difficulties as he gains greater physicality. Must play with a greater degree of aggression. Until he gains physicality, he may struggle to escape foul calls due to his occasional overzealousness.

Here, the swing talent is shooting. Terry will be a very effective player if he shoots at a high level. However, there are a few problems. Occasionally, he has a little hesitation at the beginning of his firing action. It is time-consuming for him to load into the shot. Must establish his footing in advance. Possesses a substantial ball dip that adds considerable movement to his stroke, hence increasing the number of variables that might possibly go wrong. Currently, I do not see him as a movement-based shooter. He will need to continue to address mechanical difficulties. These were the primary reasons he was not a prolific shooter at Arizona and probably will not be in his early NBA career, either.

Scoring is often still a worry if the shooting is disorganized. He need the attempt to open the door for him. Has 0 in-between game right now. All but one of his five midrange attempts over the whole season were floaters. Despite this, his floater is not very effective. He made just 26% of his floater tries throughout the previous season. It lacks any elevation and is a two-footed jump-stop flip shot. Terry needs to increase its release point uniformity. Typically, the advantage of a floater like his is that it is balanced, but Terry's is often unbalanced. In this range, he needs something to keep defenders honest. — Vecenie
 

Fitting in Chicago

The Bulls have a high opinion of Terry. He is the sort of two-way player that Chicago covets, and he provides a compelling combination of flexibility, knowledge, and outspoken leadership. Terry's tenacity and intangible qualities encouraged the Bulls to make him their player. Terry is seen as a winner who consistently produces winning plays by the Bulls.

These attributes finally compelled the Bulls to go beyond roster needs and pick, from their opinion, the finest player available. Terry does not provide the Bulls with the inside size or sharpshooting they so desperately need. However, he increases Chicago's positional size on the flank and provides the squad with a potential good defender. Terry will join defensive-minded players Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu, and Javonte Green. The Bulls' goal is that this combination will complement DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vuevi, and, if he re-signs in free agency, Zach LaVine to build a balanced squad.

Terry may also be a wise long-term investment. This draft provided a chance for the Bulls to add to their stockpile of youthful talent, since they lacked a number of promising prospects. Terry's vigor, zeal, and all-around ability might allow him to get significant playing time as a rookie. If not, he is not a terrible player to have in the future. — Darnell Mayberry
 

Summary

Terry has been one of my favorites all season long. I believed he would be an interesting first-round candidate in 2023 due to his athleticism, mentality, and ability to move and defend many positions. It is quite difficult to find a player with this mix of talents at the collegiate level. According to Pivot Analysis, Arizona was 11 points per 100 possessions better with Terry on the floor because he influences so many parts of the game. It is difficult to see Terry not becoming a starter-caliber player if his shooting transfers. He has several qualities that NBA organizations want in non-star players. His potential as a player who can influence the outcome of a game with a little jumper development in a few years is just too tremendous.