2022 NBA Draft quick reaction: Bulls select Dalen Terry at No. 18

Update: The Chicago Bulls selected Dalen Terry of Arizona with the 18th pick of Thursday’s NBA Draft. Here’s the breakdown of Terry’s game that CHGO Bulls beat writer Will Gottlieb wrote before the draft.

We’re only a few days out from Thursday’s 2022 NBA Draft and CHGO is examining prospects who could be in the Chicago Bulls range with their 18th pick. Let’s look into two of my favorite prospects for the Bulls: Dalen Terry of Arizona and Blake Wesley of Notre Dame.

Dalen Terry

• Age on Draft night: 19.94
• Measurables: HT: 6’7.25 | WS: 7’0.75
• Arizona: 8.0 pts | 4.8 reb | 3.9 ast | 1.2 stls
• Shooting splits: 50.2 FG% | 36.4 3P% | 73.6 FT%
• Projected range: Mid-20s

Strengths

Perimeter defense

• Long, rangy, active defender who jumps passing lanes and interrupts drives
• Quick and long enough to bother and shut down guards, still able to fight with bigger players and body up wings
• Lock-and-trail at a high level, gets around screens and contests shots
• 2.5 steal rate, 1.1 block rate

Passing and playmaking

• Really good live dribble playmaker — reads floor well in transition and half court on the move
• Can run offense through him — he will put pressure on the rim and finish
• Really sharp decision maker and quick hit passer
• Very smart player overall. Knows where to be, where guys are, where space will open up

Questions

Is the shot for real?

• Stroke looks good, but a little stiff and slow
• 36.4 percent sophomore season on low volume, up from 32.6 percent freshman season
• 73.6 free throw percentage sophomore season up from 61.4 percent freshman season
• No real iso or in-between game

Terry is one of “my guys.” He’s been a late riser in the draft process, but solidified himself around the mid-20s area. But why wait? Terry is limited as a scorer, but he fits the bill as an awesome big-wing defender who can really playmake, keep the ball moving and make his teammates better.

He’s not going to be a high-upside pick in the sense that he could run the offense at some point in his career (although, if that shot comes together…). He’s building on some invaluable skill sets that give him room to be a contributor now with room to develop into more of an offensive hub as his career progresses.

Blake Wesley

• Age on Draft night: 19.26
• Measurables: HT: 6’4.25 | WS: 6’9.25
• Notre Dame: 14.4 pts | 3.7 reb | 2.4 ast | 1.3 stls
• Shooting splits: 40.4 FG% | 30.3 3P% | 65.7 FT%
• Projected range: Late-teens to mid-20s

Strengths

Shooting/Scoring

• Springy pull up shooter, can elevate any time any where
• Very balanced in getting to his spots
• Always ready to pull up or cook a big on a switch
• Gets all the way to the basket, can finish through contact
• Spot up shooting flashes

Playmaking potential

• Untapped scoring and facilitating upside on low volume
• Good at getting downhill in pick-and-roll
• Creative passer, looks for corner shooters
• Very creative finisher, gets to the foul line a ton (32.4 percent foul rate)

Defense

• Slides feet well, takes contact
• Super long arms and activity
• Competes, contests
• 2.6 percent steal rate
• Great at jumping passing lanes, tipping live dribble away and getting off to the races

Questions

Refinement

• Gambles and fouls way too much on defense, but that’s what you get with someone as aggressive as Wesley
• Pretty trigger happy and it is shown in his brutal percentages
• Touch isn’t great at rim, from free throw line and bad shooting stretch to end season dragged down his percentages
• Erratic passing/decision making — he’ll need a ton of reps to refine this part of his game, but will he have the opportunity on a playoff team?

I would love if the Bulls took a swing on Wesley. He’s a bit of a project, but a firecracker of a defender with upside to be a real on-ball scoring threat. Wesley is likely not going to be a major contributor on this team should they make the playoffs, but it would be a sign that the Bulls are willing to invest in their future, develop on the fly and add a bit more attitude to the roster.