Bulls Urged to Give Struggling Rookie Opportunity Amid Injury Concerns

Getty Should the Bulls give rookie Dalen Terry more playing time?

The Chicago Bulls have been dealt another blow with the hand injury to starting guard Zach LaVine. The severity of the injury is unknown, but it seems to be negatively affecting his play, and it remains to be seen what head coach Billy Donovan and company will do about it.

If LaVine eventually misses time — and he very well might — should the Bulls add rookie Dalen Terry to their rotation? It’s a question worth asking, particularly if the Bulls continue their inconsistent play. Chicago has lost four of its last seven games and currently sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game ahead of the Washington Wizards, and a full game ahead of the Toronto Raptors.

Chicago took Terry with the 18th pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft, and he hasn’t played more than 10 minutes in a game all year. When he has been on the court, it has largely been in garbage time, and he has struggled, often getting overpowered by bigger and stronger opponents.

He’s averaging just 3.2 minutes, 0.9 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game and is shooting 40% from the floor in his limited opportunities (stats courtesy of ESPN), but Terry has been putting in work in the G League, and he has also added 10-15 pounds of muscle to his frame.

Dalen Terry: ‘I’m Way More Confident Than I Was’

A versatile guard who can also play small forward, Terry has been learning and growing during his time in the G League. He’s averaging 31 minutes and is shooting over 47% from the field, averaging 12.9 points, 7.6 boards, 5.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks.

“I just feel so much better being able to slide my fit, being able to take a hit,” Terry told Will Gottlieb of CHGO Sports on January 25. “My IQ is getting better just by watching these guys every night. Different decision making and definitely my shot. I feel now like I’m way more confident than I was in Summer League and just in the G League, being able to knock it down. Just being able to take the shot and hit it.”

Heightened confidence can take a player a long way, and so can experience. It’ll be interesting to see if Donovan gives Terry a longer look in the second half of the season.

Gottlieb: Bulls Should Give Terry a Chance

“Since Javonte Green’s knee injury, the Bulls have stuck with an eight man rotation including the starters plus Coby White, Alex Caruso and Derrick Jones Jr. coming off the bench,” Gottlieb wrote on January 25. “But if the Bulls are going to mix it up they should give rookie Dalen Terry a shot to prove himself.”

If Chicago loses LaVine for a short period of time, Terry says he’s ready for any opportunity he may get.

“With the position I’m in right now, it’s just like you’ve gotta embrace it, but you can’t ever get comfortable,” Terry said, per a January 12 report from the Chicago Sun-Times. “I can’t get comfortable with learning every day and not playing. I just have to find that balance.”

The Bulls still have a shot at the play-in tournament, but they’re hanging on to that hope by a thread. If Chicago continues to struggle, why not give him a chance?