The education of Dalen Terry has had its share of rough moments.
Those minutes in a game or stints in the rotation where the Bulls guard has left his coaching staff questioning his maturation into a reliable NBA player.
Seven minutes in the win over Atlanta on Tuesday was a reminder of that.
Terry looked lost on his defensive assignments, had a bad turnover, and was a minus-12 in the plus/minus category. That’s why the hook from coach Billy Donovan was quick and decisive.
But there’s something there with the No. 18 overall pick from the 2022 draft. Not just because he plays with a bounce in his step, but a bounce back in his mentality.
Terry only scored six points in the Thursday loss to Indiana, but his impact in the Bulls coming back from a 25-point deficit in the third quarter was huge. While eight Bulls players were a minus in that final plus/minus category, Terry finished with a team-high plus-29. Considering the Bulls lost the game by 16, not easy to do.
“A couple of guys told me about it but I didn’t see the stat sheet,” Terry said of his accomplishment. “I don’t really aim for that but got to keep doing it.”
If he wants to keep getting heavy minutes for the short-handed Bulls, yes, he certainly does.
Besides the 2-for-3 shooting night, Terry grabbed three rebounds, had three blocks, drew a charge, and handed out an assist. More importantly, he played defense with a chaotic energy that is usually only reserved for an Alex Caruso.
“Last game against Atlanta (Terry) wasn’t great for the time that he got in there, but he responded and gave us really good minutes,” Donovan said. “He was part of the group that was out there and got us back in the game. Dalen is competitive and wants to learn, wants to get better. I give him credit for continuing to keep himself ready to play.”
That means continuing to show that he understands grasping the details.
“Everybody is going to make mistakes, nobody is going to be clean,” Donovan continued. “It’s just more of the attention to detail on scouting, preparation, those kinds of things. Taking care of the basketball, but I thought he played with really good energy. He did a lot of things that he could really control. It’s not necessarily giving him more of a leash, but it’s him playing to his strengths.”
Something he will continue to have an opportunity to do.
Zach LaVine (right foot) started running and cutting but was yet to take contact in practices and show the following day there were no setbacks. Torrey Craig (plantar fasciitis) was weeks away from testing his foot out and getting a more definitive timetable. Then there’s Nikola Vucevic (groin) who was still waiting to start running.
Factor in that Donovan knows he’s been putting heavy minutes on the 34-year-old shoulders of veteran DeMar DeRozan, and there’s playing time to be had.
“I feel game by game I get a little bit more comfortable,” Terry said. “I definitely feel when I was out there (against the Pacers) I impacted the game in a lot of different ways, whether it was getting guys the ball, defending, creating energy … I feel that makes (Donovan) trust me a little bit more as I am out there.”
Terry has a big say in that trust.
The Bulls will have a home-and-home with the Philadelphia 76ers starting Saturday at the United Center, and then take on Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks on Wednesday. Two physical teams where energy is a must.
There will be minutes for Terry to grab.
But the ongoing question remains what will he do with them?