Bulls Combo Guard Pushing for Large Role After Dominant Summer League

Getty Images Dalen Terry

With the NBA Summer League coming to an end over the weekend teams will now turn their attention to getting ready for the upcoming season.  For the Chicago Bulls that will mean evaluating what they saw from some of their players during the Summer League.

The Bulls will have to decide which players they want to keep with the organization. Chicago will also have to decide where the players they keep with the organization will start the season whether that be with the Bulls or the G-League team.

Turning Heads

On Monday Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report wrote a new article highlighting the biggest rookie surprises and disappointments of the Summer League. Bulls’ first-round pick Dalen Terry found himself on the biggest surprises side of the list.

An injury ended Dalen Terry’s summer league, but not before he showed Chicago Bulls coaches versatility they’ll find useful during the regular season.

He had more success off the ball, capitalizing as a cutter, driver and transition man. Athletic with long strides, Terry made 16-of-26 twos, with most of them coming at the rim within the flow of Chicago’s offense.

Turnovers were an issue, though he did showcase some on-ball value as a passer.

The Bulls will ultimately find minutes for Terry for his play-finishing, secondary playmaking, defense and intangibles. He shot 57.6 percent in summer league, and he should continue to score efficiently as a complementary role player alongside the Bulls’ more threatening creators and shooters.

Terry was definitely impressive during the Summer League and so far has rewarded the Bulls’ decision to draft him. His versatility could land him some valuable minutes right away during his rookie season.

The Bulls also got some good news about Terry’s injury on Monday as Bulls insider Daniel Greenberg reported that it’s a minor hamstring injury.

Terry wasn’t the only Bulls player that turned heads during the Summer League. On Monday it was announced that second-year big man Marko Simonivic was named to the All-Summer League Second Team.

Terry and Simonivic helped lead the Bulls to a successful 4-1 record during their time in Las Vegas. Hopefully, both will be able to make an impact for the Bulls in the upcoming season.

Health is Wealth

While it remains to be seen how much an impact some of the Bulls’ young players will have this season, it’s no question that the most important thing for the team going into the season is to be healthy.

The Bulls got off to a 27-13 start last season and were in first place in the Eastern Conference before the injuries started stacking up in January. Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, and Alex Caruso all sustained injuries causing Chicago to stumble to a 46-36 record.

LaVine and Caruso have both recovered from their injuries but Ball’s status is still in question. Recently the Bulls have said that Ball is making progress with his rehab, but not as fast as they would like.

It’s unclear at this time if Ball will be ready for the start of the season. The Bulls have depth in the backcourt, but the impact Ball has on the team is undeniable at this point.