Dalen Terry followed up his best Summer League performance with his new best Summer League performance!
- All we could want in Las Vegas during this time of year is for young players to show steady progress (and to create a strict budget for the casino … know when it’s time to fold ’em, boys), and Terry has done just that over his first four games. The top-20 pick looked the part on Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets, dropping a game-high 20 points in just 24 minutes of action. We also watched Terry add 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block to the box score, as well as a Summer-League-low 2 TOVs.
- Terry looked even more confident in the off-ball role we saw him take over in Game 3’s similarly dominant victory over the Raptors. He tore a part a slow-to-react Hornets defense with a mix of well-timed back cuts, DHOs, transition hustle, and crafty finishing around the rim. I was particularly happy to see him post this many points on a night where he didn’t get to the free-throw line nearly as much as in previous games. While questions will remain about his offensive games (particularly his off-the-dribble scoring), it’s encouraging to see him score this efficiently when his teammates know to look for him. If he continues to cut this hard to the basket and fill the correct lane in transition, there is no question his pro teammates will find him more often.
- To be clear, I’m not saying we should expect to see Terry frequently have 20+ points at the next level. But we can already see how his basketball IQ is NBA-ready. He has a feel for the game that should be something the Bulls’ rotation staples and coaching staff can take advantage of in certain matchups right off the bat. And this feels especially true on the defensive end.
- Terry’s defensive activity remains one of his best attributes. His wicked seven-foot wingspan allows him to disrupt passing lanes and alter shots, while his lateral quickness has kept him stuck to the hip of his defender. There is no question he’ll need to add strength to better compete down low, but he has the kind of energy and competitiveness that should translate immediately (kind of like what we saw with Ayo Dosunmu).
- I think this play epitomizes what Terry can bring to the floor as soon as October. His great defensive effort leads to an easy layup in transition (where he perfectly fills the open lane to the rim).
- Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, watch Dalen Terry block this shot:
- Oh, and watch Justin Lewis block this shot!
- The six-foot-seven Justin Lewis blocked the seven-foot Mark Williams two times on Thursday night. Both plays were a perfect example of why his upside is so hard not to fall in love with. The more I watch him, the more I feel like he fits the stretch-four mold we continue to see standout in this NBA-era defined by small-ball. He has the bulky frame to hang with bigger bodies in the post, but the smaller size to switch onto perimeter plays with relative ease. I’m not ready to say Lewis will get real minutes this next season, but I’m also not going to be surprised if we see a little bit more of him than his two-way contract would suggest.
- Marko Simonovic also had himself a bounceback night, which was promising to witness against more traditional length like Williams and JT Thor. The big man used his newfound strength to battle on the glass for 13 rebounds (six of which were offensive!), and he also finished with 17 points and 4 assists in an overall +12 performance.
- Check out all the Summer League highlights below:
- The Chicago Bulls’ final Summer League game has officially been scheduled for tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. CT against the 76ers. As we get this deep into the festivities, we see the key players spend some extra time on the bench, so I’ll be curious to see whether we get much of Terry in this final contest. The Bulls might be interested in getting an extended look at the current non-roster members.
- The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry shared some fun insight on the Bulls’ Summer League jersey numbers. Give it a read!
- I truly can’t believe what’s happening with the NBA trade market. This Rudy Gobert trade, as well as potential Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Durant trades, could truly mess with asking prices for a long time.
- Well … now I’m way too hyped!
- Do I like this or not?