WASHINGTON — Dalen Terry thought he could help.
Nothing new from the 18th overall pick from last summer’s NBA draft, because Terry always feels like he could have helped.
After every game, and every DNP [Did Not Play] Coach’s Decision.
But Wednesday was different. The Bulls were without veteran DeMar DeRozan (right quadriceps) and Javonte Green (right knee surgery), still managed to build a double-digit lead going into the halftime locker room, only to see it painfully evaporate and end up being a three-point loss.
Meanwhile, Terry was a spectator for all 48 minutes … again.
“I’m definitely anxious to get playing time,’’ Terry said. “I always want my name to be called. As a competitor and just me being a rookie, I’m never gonna stop until I feel like I’m somebody in this league.
“With the position I’m in right now, it’s just like you’ve gotta embrace it, but you can’t ever get comfortable. I can’t get comfortable with learning every day and not playing. I just have to find that balance.’’
No easy task for Terry.
To call Terry high energy is an understatement. He’s not only like the kid in class that devoured way too much sugar and was told to try and sit quietly, but he also got a hall pass and snuck a quick can of Red Bull.
Unfortunately for the guard out of Arizona, that same energy is also why the game hasn’t slowed down enough for him where the coaching staff is comfortable making Terry a regular in the rotation.
By all accounts, his jumper continues to improve in practice and scrimmages, he’s shown glimpses of being an electric passer and playmaker, and his defense is rotation ready, but until he can dial back the RPMs on what he’s seeing on the floor, he remains a work in progress.
Evident by the fact he’s only played in 14 games so far, and mostly in mop-up duty.
“Never,’’ Terry said, when asked if he’s ever been on the bench like this at any level of his basketball career. “I’ve never sat like this in my life.’’
That’s why he finds himself talking to so many people about it. He joked that they all give him the same answer and he knows what the response will be, but he still needs to hear it.
“You just always want to know why,’’ Terry said. “So just talking to some of the vets — obviously you guys know my relationship with DeMar — and he just always tells me like, ‘Kobe [Bryant] didn’t play a bunch his first three years.’ He’s always sending me videos on how Kobe channeled the why he’s not playing and used it to get better, do the things the coach wanted him to do, and he’s one of the greatest of all times.
“Just lean on guys in my corner, like NBA players I grew up around, they all tell me like, ‘This is normal for rookies to go through this.’ If you’re not a top five pick, there’s a chance you go through something like this. My freshman year in college, I went from starting and playing like 25 minutes, to coming off the bench and playing like 18 minutes, and it was hard for me to even do that.’’
So how does he channel all that energy during games? Just watch Terry during timeouts or key baskets, especially if it’s a DeRozan basket. DeRozan has taken Terry under his wing as a mentor, and in return there’s no bigger DeRozan hype-man on the roster than the Rook.
Whether it’s choreographed dances or just yelling from the sideline, Terry has embraced trying to be the best teammate he can be as he waits for his name to be called.
“Just keep working and getting my game more polished,’’ Terry said. “Just waiting for my time.’’
