The Chicago Bulls shocked a lot of people including me, tonight by taking Dalen Terry with the 18th pick. I was convinced that they would either trade the 18th pick and move a back or use it as part of a trade package for an established vet that can help immediately. Bulls fans were ready to ship the 18th pick and Coby White right out of here. However, I have to give credit to the front office for getting a guy that they loved. I love this front office. Honestly I do. They don’t care about the noise from fans. The Twitterverse is full of General Managers that never made it and basketball savants (tongue planted firmly in cheek on that last statement guys) and the Bulls organization said “Nah, we like this guy”. And there’s a lot to like about the kid. The numbers won’t wow you, but he was a guy that was not asked to carry the load at Arizona. He was more of a role player and a glue guy, but he played his role beautifully. He has potential to be a two-way player at the NBA level, who averaged 8.0 points 4.8 rebounds 3.9 assists and 1.2 for the Wildcats. He can play defense at a high level, right now. He’s someone who I think can expand his game when he gets into the NBA where he can operate with more space and showcase his isolation skills. Let’s get into what I saw when I turned on the tape.

The first thing that jumps out at me is his length. The kid is a wiry athlete that can gets his hands in passing lanes with ease on the defensive end. Whether he’s on the ball or off the ball, he shows the ability to truly bother ball handlers with his length and quick feet. He crawls into ball handler’s comfort zone. One thing about Dalen Terry, he is a pest and an irritant (in a good way if he’s on your team) regularly getting into players airspace. Every team needs a player that can annoy the shit out of the opposition and Terry fits that role maybe better than anyone currently on the Bulls’ roster. He can guard 1-3 right away. I’ve heard a lot of scouts and experts call him a “Swiss Army knife” and that’s appropriate. He has the versatility to cross-switch and hold his own against smaller players or wings. This is a skill that has become increasingly vital in todays NBA. Having a big wing that can guard multiple positions is basically a necessity at this level. Look at the Celtics and the Warriors. Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown, Grant Williams, Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson all fit the bill when it comes to versatile wings that can guard on and off the ball. He can pass the ball. In an era of position less basketball, Dalen Terry is going to be hard to keep off the floor. He has a lot of skills that can help this Bulls team, especially at the defensive end.

The second thing that jumped out at me was his playmaking ability. He’s a menace in transition. He has a wing body, but he plays like a guard. His passing ability is elite. His feel for the game is something that you can’t teach. I feel confident in saying that he can come in and run the fast break in the NBA no problem. He’s such a creative passer in the open court and in the half court his basketball IQ is apparent. He identifies cutters quickly and delivers pin point passes to guys in stride to the cup for easy finishes. He’s also a great lob passer whether he’s on the run or standing still. His play making is truly exciting. He is also a extremely smart cutter himself. Arizona ran a motion offense and Terry does a very good job of moving without the basketball which is an underrated skill in the NBA.

At the moment, his jump shot needs work. His form looks good but he has a considerable dip and his base is inconsistent. He tends to have his feet too close together and releases the ball late compared to his jump. He shot 29% from 3 in his first 25 games of the season but finished the year hot at 36%. If he’s left wide open he can hit a three. There were some moments where he his stiff lower half contributed to some pretty erratic misses. Teams often left him open for a reason early in the season and did not rotate to help because of how inconsistent of a shooter he was. He had a tendency to shoot more with his arm instead of his wrist. However, it was promising to see him get hot towards the end of the year which tells me there’s room to grow if he works on his shot.

I know Bulls fans might be disappointed because they 1. They had not heard of Dalen Terry until last night and 2. They wanted a player that was more ready made to help win now. Let me assure you Bulls Nation.. this guy will help now and you will LOVE him. At 19 years old he has so much room to grow and he will get that time to develop. I think he can carve out a role with the second unit as a potential “3 and D” wing that can also run the show and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. The Bulls were at their best last season when they moved the ball. Too many times the ball would stick in DeRozan’s hands while teammates watched him dribble the shot clock away and hoist up tough jumpers. I understand losing Lonzo Ball had a lot to do with that, but with Terry the Bulls have another playmaker that can help the offense work efficiently. He just knows how to play the game. There’s something to be said for having a high basketball IQ and understanding how to cut, when to cut and run the lane on fast breaks. I’m optimistic about this kid and I can’t wait to watch him in Summer League. If anybody wants to help me fund a trip to Vegas this summer, hit me up! Dalen Terry is going to be a center piece for the Bulls for years to come.