How can Dalen Terry earn significant minutes for the Chicago Bulls?

After a decent summer league, many questions have arisen about Chicago Bulls rookie Dalen Terry. Although it is difficult to judge his game based on a few summer league games, you have to wonder where he fits on the Bulls given their depth at the shooting guard position. With the return of Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, Coby White, and the addition of Goran Dragic, Terry is going to have a hard time cracking the rotation.

With that being said, Terry managed to silence some of his summer league critics and showcase in several pro-ams runs that he is indeed a bucket. Terry had a 56-point outing in the Crawsover pro-am, a well-known pro-am around the league where you’ll see several NBA faces each game.

Here are the full highlights of Terry’s bucket-getting pro-am game.

Terry showcased his whole basketball arsenal, scoring in a bunch of different ways. Which gives Bulls fans confidence that he may be able to crack the Bulls rotation after all. The question is, what will he have to do to earn those minutes?

Here’s how Chicago Bulls guard Dalen Terry will earn significant minutes.

If you look at the Chicago Bulls’ depth chart at the shooting guard position, they lack 3 and D guards. Guards that are willing to do the dirty work and knock down open three-point shots. Obviously, they have Caruso who does all the little things but you need more than one individual doing the dirty work in order to contend for a title.

If Terry can take pride in becoming a defensive menace and improve his three-point shot then there would be no reason for him to not crack the rotation. Considering that Terry stands at 6’7 with a 7-foot wingspan, he has all the physical tools and could very well develop into one of the better 3 and D players in the league.

Looking back at Terry’s college career, he was never the designated scorer on a team. Averaging 4.6 points per game as a freshman at Arizona and 8 points per game during his sophomore year. His scoring averages are not a knock on his game but instead an indicator of why he should look to develop his game into a valuable 3 and D player in the league. Players that can effectively fill that role make a lot of money in today’s NBA; With exceptional Terry’s size, the only thing holding him back from making a fortune is himself.

Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan had high praise for Terry in a recent interview, stating:

"“If you talk to anybody about Dalen the thing that comes out loud and clear is his passion and competitiveness to want to win and impact the team. I think he’s very eager to learn and get better and grow and improve. And as long as he keeps that mentality, then his talent level will just continue to get better”"

Dalen Terry may not be the Chicago Bulls’ number one option next year but he has an opportunity to be a vital piece on a championship-contending team. If Terry improves his shot and takes pride in defense then Billy Donovan will have minutes to give him in their rotation. Don’t be surprised if you see Dalen Terry playing big minutes next season.