Dalen Terry's debut draws rave reviews: "He raised the energy of our team"

Dalen came ready to play in his first taste of NBA action.

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

For all the things that went wrong for the Chicago Bulls in their preseason debut against the New Orleans Pelicans, there was one big bright spot: rookie guard Dalen Terry. 

Terry, the Bulls' first-round pick out of Arizona, had an impressive debut, scoring 11 points and adding seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 18 remarkable minutes of action.

Immediate impact

Terry, a 6-foot-7 guard with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, entered the game with a little over five minutes remaining in the third quarter. He didn't take long to make an impact on the game, whether it was playing solid defense, initiating the offense, or driving to the basket and finishing with authority.

In 18 minutes on the court, Terry displayed the type of all-around game that made him such an appealing prospect for the Bulls. He has a chance to be a real difference-maker for this team as a rookie, and it's clear that he's starting to earn the trust of head coach Billy Donovan.

"His willingness to stay engaged in the middle of the third quarter and to go in there and play like he played was great to see. And I thought he raised the energy on our team and certainly got the place excited," said Donovan.

It wasn't just Donovan who took notice of Terry's spunk but also veteran guard Alex Caruso.

Alex Caruso on Dalen Terry debut: "I loved it. I loved how hard he played, the passion he played with. That’s contagious and what you like to see from young guys."

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 5, 2022

The future is bright

Terry is only 20 years of age and will surely have his rookie moments in the Association. But based on what we saw in his debut, it's clear that the Bulls have themselves a very talented young player who cares more about getting the win than praise.

"I played okay. I played pretty good. But obviously, we didn't play well enough to win the game. And that's all I really want to do," said Terry.

"We got a baby cookie monster!" 🍪 pic.twitter.com/3L47IzCFcF

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 5, 2022

While it was only one meaningless preseason game, Donovan has seen enough from Terry to know he has a very special player on his hands.

"He's highly competitive, which I love, and he's eager to learn and get better," Donovan said. "When you start with those qualities, the shooting, the ballhandling, the passing, whatever skill work you want to work on, it's always going to get better."