Dalen Terry not only said all the right things at the end of his rookie season with the Bulls, but he also has spent the summer doing all the right things.
More specifically, he has made a visit to Camp DeRozan, where 5 a.m. workouts involve pushing the body to the limits, and a big breakfast may have trouble staying down.
But Terry has something to prove, and actions always speak louder than words in the NBA.
In early April, Terry was talking about how he was buried deep on the Bulls’ depth chart. He wants to make sure the 2023-24 campaign isn’t going to be more of the same.
“I just know I ain’t going through this again,’’ Terry insisted to the Sun-Times. “I just want the chance to do whatever I need to do to get on the court next year. So just the part of my development, what does everybody want to see from me, as well as the expectations I have in myself? I know I want to come back a different player.’’
He has been attempting to do that, first going out to Los Angeles with teammate Patrick Williams to work with veteran DeMar DeRozan, and now back in Chicago working with the Summer League team as they prepare for Las Vegas.
The additions of veterans Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, however, likely won’t help Terry’s case.
Unless Terry makes a leap offensively, he will be hard-pressed to become a regular fixture in the lineup when everyone is healthy.
As of Wednesday — maybe the Bulls aren’t done adding — Carter and Coby White likely will battle for the starting point-guard spot, with Carter in the slight lead just because of his experience.
The “Big Three’’ of Zach LaVine, DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic are obvious fixtures in the other three starting spots, while Williams could have a sneaky good battle with Craig for the other forward spot. Give Williams the edge just because of his importance in the organization beyond this season.
That leaves Alex Caruso, Andre Drummond, White or Carter, and Williams or Craig as reserve players, with the unknown being what happens with restricted free agent Ayo Dosunmu.
Coach Billy Donovan used a lot of eight and nine-man rotations last season, but if he did stretch it to 10, Terry would have a chance to throw his name in the hat, along with rookie Julian Phillips.
Terry can help his case is if he shows in the Summer League that his outside shot has taken huge strides towards consistency.
Even though he played a lot of mop-up minutes last season, Terry was only 7-for-27 (25.9%) from three-point range. Not a huge surprise, considering he wasn’t a real high-volume three-point shooter coming out of Arizona, averaging just 1.9 attempts per game and hitting 35% in his two seasons with the Wildcats.
Terry’s ability to play defense might get him a spot in the rotation, but his outside shooting will be what keeps him in the rotation.
As for Phillips, he was introduced to the media one day before the Bulls left for Las Vegas and was very confident in what he feels his strengths are in the race for playing time.
“Definitely a lot of versatility is kind of my thing,’’ Phillips told reporters. “Defense, being able to guard multiple positions. Offensively, being able to get downhill.’’
Both Terry and Phillips are expected to get a lot of playing time in Summer League, so let the jockeying for positioning begin.
