There are some young players who view a trip down to the G League as a demotion, as a sign that first-round draft status isn’t translating to meaningful minutes at the NBA level.
Dalen Terry isn’t one of those players.
“I wanted to go,” the Chicago Bulls’ first-round pick said. “I’ve been asking to go down.”
And go down Terry did, helping the Windy City Bulls win back-to-back games over the weekend before the NBA Bulls recalled him before Sunday’s home game against the Denver Nuggets.
Terry posted 18 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and eight turnovers on Saturday and followed with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists on Sunday. After playing Sunday’s home game in Hoffman Estates, Terry arrived at the United Center to go through his usual pregame routine, including more shots. He even logged 5 minutes, 34 seconds of playing time in the Bulls' blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets, making the rare double of G League and NBA minutes in the same day a reality.
“I just love to play basketball,” Terry said. “I’m not here for the money or anything like that. I just love to play. If it’s limited time up here, I’d rather go down there and work on some things.”
Indeed, Terry logged just 22 largely mop-up minutes in his seven appearances over the Bulls’ first 13 games. With practice time scarce until the Bulls’ schedule eased this week, Terry’s competitive itch needed to be scratched.
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“It was a great experience. It felt good to go against somebody besides the imagination in my head,” Terry said. “There’s no better way to get back into game shape than going down and playing some games.”
Coach Billy Donovan said this week that the Bulls will continue looking for opportunities to get Terry game minutes. He also stressed the importance of using the experience not just to jack up shots and hunt statistics.
“Dalen is not this way---and neither are we as an organization---but for a player to go in and think it’s all just about him and his growth and development is wrong,” Donovan said. “You want to put guys in a system where they have to play to an identity.”
In other words, positively impacting teammates---who have been practicing together without NBA players---is just as, if not more, important than numbers.
“I’m not a player who goes down there and tries to score 40,” Terry said. “I want to play an overall game.”
Terry’s love for playing was on display this summer when he sought out high-level pickup opportunities after NBA Summer League, including the Los Angeles-based Drew League and Seattle-based Crawsover, hosted by former Bull Jamal Crawford.
Terry also took advantage of regular preseason minutes, displaying potential for defensive versatility and playmaking.
“He’s a very, very competitive guy. He’s a good worker. He’s eager to get better and learn,” Donovan said. “There’s obviously a lot for him to learn. And he will because of his spirit and disposition.”