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.
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.
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