The opportunities for minutes haven’t been there much for guard/forward Dalen Terry in his first year and a half with the Bulls. As a rookie in 2022, the 18th overall pick out of Arizona had 41 “did not play” designations. Thirty-two games into this season, he has eight more.
But the tide may be turning — at least for the next eight to nine weeks while forward Torrey Craig is out with sprained plantar fascia in his right foot.
In the immediate aftermath of Craig’s injury, coach Billy Donovan said he’d lean on both Terry and rookie forward Julian Phillips, but it’s Terry who has received the bulk of those minutes. Donovan credited him for staying ready and making the necessary improvements to his shot. But he doesn’t want shooting to consume Terry.
“He knows he’s got to get better,” Donovan said. “But I don’t want him totally focused on that. He’s going to play whether he’s missing or making shots. Even earlier on, when he was getting an opportunity to play, what impressed me was [that] his discipline has increased [his execution] on both ends of the floor.”
In his last three games entering Tuesday’s matchup with the Hawks, Terry was averaging 18.6 minutes, up from around nine. He shot 3-for-7 from the field in those outings and 0-for-4 from three-point range. Against the Hawks, he had no points, rebounds or assists in just under seven minutes.
“He’s got a high motor,” Donovan said. “He knows how to play the game. He’s a very good passer, but he’s got to stay disciplined, particularly in understanding personnel.”
Donovan on Kerr’s side
The Bulls were absent from the slate of Christmas Day games, but Donovan jumped into the conversation following the Warriors’ 120-114 loss to the Nuggets, which prompted a soundoff from Warriors coach Steve Kerr on the state of NBA officiating and how it’s affecting defenses.
“I have a problem with how we are legislating defense out of the game,” Kerr told reporters after the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic went 18-for-18 from the free-throw line.
Donovan said Tuesday that he agreed with Kerr, noting that declining defense was a topic of conversation during coaches’ meetings in September.
“I think back to the ’90s when . . . those games were being played below 100 [points],” Donovan said. “They were these physical, half-court, grind-out games where it was just total physicality on every single possession.”
Maybe, Donovan surmised, some fans didn’t enjoy that era of basketball. But as the NBA style continues to evolve, coaches believe the league needs to strike a balance, he said.
“You don’t want to be at a place with zero freedom of movement and you can’t play,” he said. “And you don’t want to be in a situation where it’s very difficult to play defense.”
No Vooch
Center Nikola Vucevic was out of action against the Hawks after taking contact to the groin from the Cavaliers’ Max Strus on a dunk attempt during Saturday’s loss. An MRI exam Tuesday confirmed a strain.
Donovan said Vucevic’s recovery timeline depends on how well he responds to rehab. Tuesday was his first absence of the season after playing in all 82 games last season.
