Dalen Terry Introductory Media Availability | Chicago Bulls

What's up, gentlemen?

Hello, everyone. Dalen, Arturus, how are you doing? All right, good.

What's up?

You're not on Zoom? Okay, you sure? Good morning, everyone. Sorry to miss you on Thursday. So I just wanted to welcome everyone again to Advocate Center. And we're going to obviously present Dalen Terry. And then I'm sure you already missed Billy. You're used to talking to him 3 times a day. Now you got a chance to talk to him again. So fire away, your questions.

Hi, Casey Johnson, NBC Sports Chicago. I have a question for you because we talk to him all the time. What attracted you to Dalen?

I had an interview this morning also. So, yeah, so basically he's a high motor energy guy, 6'7, 7'1 wingspan, good defender, just versatile guy. And we worked him out a couple weeks ago and he was A lot of it was the same. You know, he was the loudest guy in the gym, and I'm looking forward for him to get back in here in AC, in Advocate Center, and seeing him work.

How much do you know about Billy Donovan and his coaching style?

I know a lot. Obviously, I did my research when I got drafted here, and I knew his legacy before, so I definitely knew I know a couple of people that he knows and stuff like that.

How do you think it's going to match up with what you can do?

I mean, I'm just ready to learn from what he's been through and everything that he's taught other players. Just ready to work. It was Thursday night that you were excited to get here. What was it about the Bulls that made you so excited about here, this organization? I mean, honestly, when I worked out here I just love the gym, love the facility, love the people around here, and obviously it's a rich culture. So it's just, who else wouldn't want to be here, you know?

How does he fit into what you can do on the court?

Well, I mean, as he mentioned, you know, Sean Miller recruited Dalen, and I've known Sean for a long, long time. And, you know, Coach Lloyd, the one thing I respect that A.K. and Mark and his staff are doing is, you know, it's like the same situation with Iowa last year, you know, with the competitive mentality. And I think the one thing that, you know, really stood out in people you speak to, just his energy, his enthusiasm. I think his eagerness to want to learn and get better and grow. And then obviously his physical talent, his size, his length, but I think if you talk to anybody about Dalen, the thing that comes out loud and clear is his passion and competitiveness to want to win and impact the team. It's hard to say right now what his role will be because we have to get the whole group together, but like we've spoken a couple times draft night, then over the weekend, I think he's very eager to learn and get better and grow and improve. And as long as he keeps that mentality, then his talent level will just continue to get better. But I think that's what we wanted to continue to do here is bring guys in that have that kind of competitive spirit and mentality. He certainly has a great deal of that and I think his energy when you're around him, I think you can really, really feel it in a very positive way.

Really based on his workout or your In your film study of him, what jumped out to you about him?

Well, I think the thing that's hard, and I've got like an— and I told him this over the weekend, you know, I've got like a different perspective now because I think that the college game is so different. You know, there's things that, you know, in college that just don't translate to the NBA, and there's things in the NBA that don't translate to college. And, you know, the spacing is totally different, the lane, the dimensions of the court, all those kind of things. I think the one thing that stood out was just his athleticism, his energy, his motor, his competitiveness. I think like any young player, he's played 2 years in college, his skill set will continue to grow. I think you always feel good about a player's skill set based around the fact of what kind of worker they are, and he's a great worker. So everything will get better— ball handling, passing, shooting. He's always got great ability defensively and he's long, but you can feel You called out DeMar DeRozan as somebody you studied last year.

Did you— have you heard from him yet?

Have you spoken?

No, sir. I've heard from a couple other players. I studied like a couple of the guys on the team, honestly, so it wasn't just him.

Where do you credit your energy coming from? Like, where did you sort of learn to live that way?

I mean, honestly, I've been like that I've my whole life. been like this since I started playing basketball. I mean, I've always been competitive, always wanted to win, and I'll do anything to win. So that's just where that comes from.

What are your summer workout plans? Do you have any idea where you're going to be?

I'll be here, right?

Are you going to be going to LA to work with DeMar and those guys, the 5 AM wakeups?

I mean, if they invite me, I'm there, you know, but I mean, I'm just here to work. Honestly, I want to work with the, with our staff and just learn, get used to the city and all that.

Who's your support group over here?

It's my mom over there, my dad. That's Ashley Combs over there, Anthony Coleman. So them all my people.

What have they meant to you in your journey to this point?

They mean a lot, honestly. I want to be I wouldn't be here without each one of them. And I mean, they make this a lot easier for me. Them being here right now is just big, and I credit them a lot.

People talk about fit a lot, and I think when they do that, they talk about it through kind of a roster or a depth chart context. But when you were describing Dalen's game— length, defensive activity, ability to pass, dribble, shoot— how does he How does that fit into your broader basketball philosophy in terms of how you build it? Because I feel like those are consistent with especially guys you've drafted—

Pat, Ayo, et cetera.

Well, I think his profile as a player, I think, you know, he can fit any style of play. And being a versatile player, I think you can play him in different positions, different spots. So I think that's the most attractive thing. How he's going to fit, we're going to find out. So it's one thing at a time. He's going to get in the gym. He's going to go through Summer League. I think this period of time in between training camp and now, I think it's very important for young players like that.

We spoke to you in April. You talked about continuity for the core and improving the roster on the margins. Since then, a lot of people have speculated about your roster building for you. Can we read this draft pick Is kind of you following through on what you told us in April, that you're going to stick with the core and he's an improvement in terms of a margin role and perhaps obviously if he reaches potential?

Yeah, I think last, last 2 years we, you know, we built, you know, the way you can build your roster is 3 ways, right? Through your trades, via free agency, and, and the draft. And I think we tapping into all 3 of them. And, you know, and during the draft you just keep adding talent, which we did. And continuity, yes, because this group has been here only since October, so we're still trying to get used to how to, you know, how to play with each other. I think, you know, start of the season last year, it was really, really positive. What was the biggest takeaway from that season? And exactly how we want to play. But, you know, goals in September, obviously, all roster to be healthy and ready for the season.

And I'm not putting Vooch or Damar out to pasture yet. They're still very productive players. But given their ages, north of 30, how important is it to get young athletic guys on rookie-scale contracts that can possibly contribute like they were?

It's important to get a good mix. You know, and I think for young guys, it's important also to develop. So even with last year's roster, you know, there's a lot of vets, there's a lot of in-between, and the young guys got a lot of experience, you know, when emphasis was put on winning. And, you know, we got 46 wins, which is great, got some playoff experience, but We need to build on that, and it's not going to be easy next year to come back and do the same.

What kind of things did you see in his game as far as, you know, he played on a very good team that was like ranked top 5 most of the year. You know, they had other guys who got drafted. Do you like to see a guy who can kind of fit into a system like that, maybe sacrifice some of his own?

Yes, absolutely. I think You know, they— I think they were, what, number 1, you know, at least top 5, uh, all year. And once you have so many, uh, good players, you know, fit is, you know, and like he mentioned, you know, he's doing everything, you know, to win games, you know. And even through their guard, some injuries, you know, he, he did You know, he adjusted and he, you know, performed on a high level. So his ability to adapt and play every game with the same energy and, you know, that's what attracted.

Where is your confidence level when it comes to being able to re-sign Zach?

We've been very open that, you know, We hope that Zach is here for a long time and nothing changed.

Rob Shea from NBC Sports Chicago. Arturas mentioned kind of the progress that this franchise made last year, winning record, getting to the postseason, continue to have those aspirations. How exciting is that for you to step in your first year in the NBA to be in a kind of winning situation like that with those aspirations?

I mean, it's big, honestly. Me being from previous programs, winning a lot, I'm coming here and coming to a culture that's already did it, and I'm just trying to get in where I fit in. So.

Okay. I read an article where when you were younger, your mom asked you what you wanted for your birthday and you requested a basketball tournament. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? How old were you? And does that kind of play into your passion for the game?

How old was I?

Yeah.

Okay. 10 years old, asked for a 3-on-3 tournament. I mean, I love basketball. I love basketball since I was born, honestly. So I breathe, sleep, cry, everything basketball. So it's just like, that's what I wanted to do that year. I mean, I play basketball every day, but I mean, for my birthday, I wanted to play basketball again. So had my own tournament, a little bit more attention on me. So it was good.

You got him too, right?

Yeah.

You said what?

She was reffing too?

Yeah, she was reffing. She gave me all the calls that day.

Do you expect to be able to contribute immediately or are you kind of looking at it like you just said, get in where you fit in, kind of like I'll ease into the league and when my time comes?

Yeah, I'm just here. I'm going to be myself. I'm trying to get in where I fit in. Just a young guy just ready to learn.

What can Dalen do to expedite that process of finding a role with you guys? I'm kind of thinking how Io did last year in a way that surprised people. What can he do to, you know, carve himself out a role?

Yeah, I mean, you know, a lot of times, and certainly going into last season for Io, you know, the, the injuries that happened to Alonzo and, and Alex missing as much time as they did, you know, kind of presented an opportunity for him. And, you know, he was already playing, but obviously it went from playing maybe 15, 16, 17 minutes a game to all sudden he's playing 38 minutes because, you know, we were down. You know, I do think that, as Arturo said, with his versatility and his competitiveness and stuff, it's finding a way that he can get that into the game and how he can help us do that. You know, the development piece will be really, really important, I think. You know, I think someone asked about, you know, the summer for him. I mean, he's gonna stay here, he'll work out this This week he'll start up with Summer League training camp. He'll go through the entire Summer League, so this will be great for him to get a chance to play and to grow and to learn. But the thing I respect about him and appreciate about him is he's just trying to figure out how can he come in here and help any way he can. And I think as we see him play with our guys and he starts to fit in with our guys, then you can start to hopefully find and develop a role for him, you know, where he could fit in best to help the group. Because I do, you know, feel like all the background on him is all about wanting Billy, I talked to Tommy Lloyd on Friday and he mentioned his growth in his decision-making.

Did you see a jump in maybe checking film from his freshman year to his sophomore year or in your conversations with Sean, who I know you know well?

Yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, like as Arturo said, there's, I think, a lot to Dalen. And what I mean by that is, you know, he's obviously very gifted, very talented, and very athletic, you know, but I do think that there's a component to his competitiveness and his willingness to want to work and to get better and improve and try to do whatever he can to do that. And I think that when you have that kind of mentality, you're only going to get better. Like, I do think that player development is a partnership. It's also— it's the player and the coaches working together. If you have coaches that are not working with the player, or spending the time with the player, it's hard for the player to develop. If you have coaches that are spending the time but the player's not working, it's hard to develop. So we feel pretty confident that the environment here, especially with his work ethic, that he's just going to continue to grow. The one thing I told him is, you know, playing 82 games, uh, the season's so long, the one thing he cannot lose is his enthusiasm and his energy and his passion and his love for the game. The hardest thing a lot of times over 82 games is to— one game you don't play, one game you do play, you play poorly, you play— can you come back every day and be the same guy each and every day? That's how guys get better. And I feel very, very confident that that's going to be his mentality going into this season. And this could be a great, you know, couple months before training camp starts. There'll definitely be some time, probably in August, that he'll get together with a lot of these guys and work out with them and get to know them. But the other thing, in fairness to Dalen, you know, He doesn't really know and has never been on the floor with one of these guys. So he's got to obviously build some relationships. That will take some time, and we'll utilize that this summer. I mean, a lot of our guys are back here working out right now, but this will be a process for him. But the thing I feel very confident about in the process and his growth of what he'll do skill-wise is him. You know, it's his mentality, his work ethic, and who he is as a player and what he's done, you know, in a short period of time in college.

Let's get a couple more guys.

What are you most looking forward to in your rookie season? Sorry, what'd you say? What are you most looking forward to in your rookie season? Just being on a team, winning.

His numbers don't jump off the page. Patrick Williams didn't either. How do you get comfortable without, I guess, giving any secrets as to— you can see that it's going to be there down the line?

Well, I think numbers across the board, you know, He demonstrated that he does a lot of things well. So, you know, from rebounding to playmaking to steals, you know, even, you know, you're talking about his shooting, he shot 36%, you know, and at the end of, you know, of the season, he shot even better. So I think, I think he has a lot of room for growth, but he already has physical tools to do it, and he plays for a very good program.

So.

We're excited to see him out there.

What went into those shooting improvements over the course of last season? And what do you— what work is going to go into continuing to improve that?

Honestly, everything changed when I started trusting my work. I mean, I've been shooting. I was shooting all my freshman year, all sophomore year, early mornings, late nights. So as soon as I started to trust myself and was more confident in it, it started going in.

Happenings. Did Tony Bradley inform you of his player decision yet?

No.

Do you expect him to be back? We'll see what happens next couple days.

And Tyler Cook and Malcolm Hill, did you extend qualifying offers to them to make them restricted, or will they be unrestricted?

We'll make those decisions next couple days.

While you're so forthcoming about the roster, I have a follow-up onto that. By all accounts, the The scope was pretty routine and successful. And between that and the structural integrity of the MRI, are you confident extending a full 5-year contract to him?

I think he's going to be healthy, and I think he's now progressing great. Like I said, looking forward to free agency.

Are you confident in extending a full 5-year offer to him?

I'm confident. I'm confident in, you know, approaching this free agency, you know, next couple of days, sitting down with our group, you know, looking at a lot of things. And June 30th, 6 p.m. Eastern time, that's when conversations start.

Will Iowa or Patrick be participating in Summer League?

Those guys will be here in practice. They will probably not play any games in Vegas, but they'll be here working. with the group. Um, so, uh, Patrick's been in and out. Io's been here pretty much the whole entire summer, but they'll be here.

We're going to take a question from Zoom. Sam Smith with Bulls.com, go ahead.

I have a question for Kevin. Um, you have to presume good health, so I, I assume that Lonzo and Alex Caruso will be fine. What's your thinking regarding, um, Dalen, Ayo, and Coby White, given the circumstances of, you know, your lead guards being in good shape?

Is this me? Okay, sorry, Sam. Um, I thought it was for AK, so I probably didn't do the best job paying attention to the question. How about that? Yeah, I'm just being honest. I say— I mean, I thought it said AK. I didn't realize Yeah, I'm sorry, Sam.

Well, based on during the season, I don't think you paid attention to me a lot, actually.

Always to you. Always to you.

That's consistent. Just presuming good health, Lonzo and Alex, we have to presume going into the season they'll be fine. So given that, what's your thinking regarding Dalen, Ayo, and Kobe White, their situations?

Well, you know, I think, Sam, as you look at those guys, Io in college was kind of a combination guard, right? And then as we went through— we went through last year at the point guard position, he kind of started to play that position full time. And we feel very, very confident that he can continue to play that position. Kobe, my first year, that COVID year, you know, he really shifted to the point guard position full-time. Alex has really played 1 through 4 for us. I think the versatility and the fact that Dalen can play multiple positions, and so can Io, so can Alex Caruso, is beneficial. You know, Kobe's a guy that I think last year, coming off the shoulder surgery, some of the injuries he had in the backcourt— sometimes he started, sometimes he came off the bench, sometimes he was on the ball, sometimes he was off the ball— you know, he handled himself incredibly well and did whatever he could do to help the team. The thing that I like about our backcourt players is I think, you know, Arturas has, you know, created a lot of guys that can play multiple positions. I mean, the fact that we Before we really got injured early in the season, whatever it was, 15, 20 games, we were closing with Alex Caruso at the power forward spot. It's the same thing with Patrick Williams. Patrick can slide around a little bit. So I think that's the one thing that Arturas has looked at is besides the competitive piece is the versatility of putting different combinations of players on the floor together. And I think that would be true with Dalen. He can play a lot of different positions. He's not just pinned in. at one spot. And then obviously we have some flexibility to try to see how all these guys work and play with one another.

Sorry, I wasn't listening.

Could you repeat that?

Yeah, I was talking to Chuck. That's okay.

Thank you.

All right. Thanks, guys. We're going to have you come down real quick for—