Our scouting report on NBA draft prospect Tyrell Terry:
- Position: G
- Height: 6-2
- Weight: 160
- School: Stanford
*College height and weight
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If you’re searching for shooting in the 2020 NBA draft, Tyrell Terry is worth a close look. The diminutive guard averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a freshman at Stanford before deciding to enter this year's draft.
Strengths
Terry shot 40.8 percent from three-point range and 89.1 percent from the foul line this season. He has a pure, soft shot and can comfortably pull up from well beyond NBA range.
In an interview with Bryan Kalbrosky for HoopsHype, Terry said he watches a lot of Trae Young, Stephen Curry and Mark Price and tries to emulate those players. Comparisons to those three names are flattering, but they’re not entirely absurd. His deep range and ability to shoot off the dribble are qualities that evoke Young. Terry’s sharp relocations off the ball aren’t yet in Curry’s class, but he has impressive instincts as a mover, and as a passer as well. For those unfamiliar with Price, he made four All-Star appearances as a sweet-shooting, 6-foot point guard for the Cavs in the late ‘80s and early ’90s.
NBA
For his size, Terry is an effective finisher around the basket thanks to his excellent body control and touch. After his junior year of high school, Terry played in a Pro-Am league with older players, and he looks like someone who’s already developed tools to compete against larger guys.
Though the academic institution one attends obviously don’t always correlate with intelligence, Terry comes across as a smart person who won’t be overwhelmed by the non-physical aspects of the NBA.
Weaknesses
While he averaged 1.4 steals per game, defense will likely be a concern for Terry in the NBA. He’ll be limited to defending one position because of his size, and it’s valid to be skeptical of his ability to do that well.
Terry’s ball handling is not especially tight, though he can run the pick-and-roll and is also pretty good at keeping the ball moving and being part of an offense. Still, he’s not yet worthy of a legitimate “shot creator” label, and that might not ever be a primary NBA role for him.
His small frame is an unavoidable question. Even if he gains a substantial amount of muscle over the next couple of years, he still would probably have a strength disadvantage in many matchups. To his credit, he's added significant strength during the pre-draft process.
Fit
Terry should be intriguing to the Sixers if he's available at No. 21. He should be very attractive if he happens to still be on the board at No. 34 or No. 36.
Terry's combination of elite shooting and secondary playmaking skills would be welcome on the Sixers. The defensive worries would be less of an issue here than on many other teams, since the Sixers have the versatility to minimize Terry’s weaknesses on that end.
In September, Terry said he'd had "great communication" with the Sixers. You can read more about him and his potential fit in Philadelphia here.