When Dalen Terry’s name came across the screen on Thursday night, I instantly envisioned a handful of Bulls fans scratching their heads before letting out a Snoop-Dogg-inspired “WHO!?”
I get it. Terry wasn’t the most talked-about prospect in the Bulls Universe heading into the draft. But maybe he should have been. Not only did the majority of final mocks and big boards project the 19-year-old to go in the mid-first-round, but he fits the bill of what this front office has targeted in the draft before.
Terry is a long, multi-positional talent with a strong feel for the game and a solid defensive foundation. He’s a transition threat, high-IQ passer, and active off-ball presence. Marc Eversley said it best himself, “as we look to add pieces to this roster, I think he fits the kind of make-up that we want to bring in. He’s a tough kid, he’s competitive, he brings a winning spirit to the room. He’s a ball of energy, and I think we need that in this building every single day.”
Thanks to the head coach that shall not be named, I know we tend to cringe when the word “spirit” enters the room. But Eversley is right. Terry is a talent who will do whatever it takes to get the win. He isn’t concerned about being the star, he isn’t concerned about scoring the basketball, and he isn’t concerned about his role. All Terry is concerned about is contributing to winning basketball, and I think that stands out in our post below:
So was Terry a reach? I’ve already seen that question pop up more times than I can count, and I think the answer is pretty darn simple: No. As I shared in yesterday’s bullets, many draft analysts had Terry set to go right in the Bulls’ range. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie had him as the 17th-best prospect, and the Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman echoed that sentiment. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor put him 19th, while ESPN’s Jonathan Givony expected him to go two picks later at No. 21 in his final mock draft.
Calling Terry a “reach” would imply the Bulls let another player drop, but I’m not sure the final draft board reflects that belief. While a case could be made about Malaki Branham, he was clearly not as high on people’s wish lists as many of us initially thought. A handful of mocks had him going before the Bulls would pick at No. 18 for weeks, but he fell two picks past that spot. E.J. Liddell also dropped all the way into the 40s, showing that those on the inside weren’t nearly as high on the forward as we assumed. As for names like Tari Eason, Jalen Williams, Ochai Agbaji, and Mark Williams, they were all off the board before Chicago was set to pick. And who is to say for certain that any were higher on the Bulls’ board than Terry?
I also twitch whenever I hear the words, “they could have traded down!” Are we sure? Terry could have easily been considered the best available by several teams behind Chicago. Not to mention, we can’t just assume a deal was there. I heard this same argument about Patrick Williams in 2020, but the Bulls didn’t want to risk losing *their* guy. You only trade down if (1) you’re certain you can still get the player you want or (2) the deal is that enticing, the Bulls obviously weren’t convinced of either.
Marc Eversley wasn’t shy about saying the Bulls had conversations on the No. 18 pick throughout the night. However, he made clear that the organization thought drafting Terry presented the best option on the table, “I can tell you we took a lot of calls on both scenarios and nothing stood out to us … We were diligent. We looked at all opportunities. We felt like taking Dalen at 18 was the best position for us to be in tonight.”
Sure, we don’t know the content of those calls or how well the Bulls negotiated, but that sounds like the right philosophy to have. Eversley and Co. were open to whatever, and they ultimately went with what they thought was the best move.
Terry’s fit on this team sounds better and better. I can’t wait to see him in Summer League.
FWIW: HoopsHype Michael Scotto reiterated that former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic remains interested in taking his talents to the NBA. The Bulls have been mentioned in the past as a team who could show interest in acquiring his rights from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Scotto is reporting that Micic could draw a deal close to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
The Charlotte Hornets have turned back the clock.
After being snubbed by Kenny Atkinson, Michael Jordan and Co. have decided to call upon old friend Steve Clifford. The decision is certainly a shocker considering we rarely see a reunion between an organization and a somewhat recently fired head coach, but here we are. Clifford coached the franchise from 2013-2018 and helped the Hornets reach the playoffs twice. He’s a defensive-minded leader who now has quite the offensive-minded roster to experiment with. We’ll see how this goes.
ICYMI: The Chicago Bulls have already signed undrafted free-agent Justin Lewis to a two-way deal.
Folks, if your ears are bored, the first-ever episode of my new podcast is officially live! You can listen and subscribe on Spotify here and Apple here. I’m hoping this will prove to be a fun and valuable extension of my written work at BN. Please, let me know if you have any suggestions or feedback. Thanks!
I love this, but I’m also scared for him.
Javy still Javy.
NEWSLETTER
