Bulls: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from 2023 NBA Summer League

The Ugly: Dalen Terry looks borderline unplayable for Bulls

Entering this year’s Summer League, it was clear to see the front office was giving Dalen Terry the go-ahead to show out and display everything he has to offer. With no other young tenured players from the Bulls’ main roster on the team, Dalen became the de facto leader overnight. We saw this come into play right out the gate, as Terry attempted a team-high 35 shots in the first two games.

Unfortunately, the results were… not great. He’d convert on only 9 of those shots (25.7%), and things weren’t going to get any better for him in the next two games either.

To put it nicely, Dalen Terry was abysmal on the offensive side of the ball. Attacking the rim, shooting the three-ball, even converting free throws — you name the shot, and Terry struggled mightily with it. Despite playing relatively stout defense and showcasing an impressive playmaking vision, none of these things matter in the end if his horrendous offense offsets the things he is good at.

Perhaps therein lies the issue. The things Terry is good at, is not what the Bulls need. Chicago already has a surplus of primary ball handlers and perimeter defenders. What the Bulls need is a player that can space the floor and hit open threes, cut hard and attack the basket for easy looks, and switch onto bigger bodies on the wing to adequately defend the interior. None of these things are areas of strength for Terry, so it’s hard to write him off completely as a prospect, but it is becoming increasingly difficult envisioning him receiving minutes (or even finishing out his rookie contract) with the Bulls any time soon.