The education of Bulls guard Dalen Terry has had its share of rough moments.
We’re talking about those minutes in a game or stints in the Bulls’ rotation in which he has left the coaching staff questioning whether he can mature into a reliable NBA player.
The seven minutes he played in the Bulls’ victory Tuesday against the Hawks was a reminder of that.
Terry looked lost on his defensive assignments, committed a bad turnover and was a minus-12 in the plus/minus category. That’s why coach Billy Donovan’s hook was quick and decisive.
But Terry, the No. 18 pick in the 2022 draft, has something. He plays with a bounce in his step and a bounce-back in his mentality.
Terry scored only six points in the Bulls’ loss Thursday to the Pacers, but the role he played in their comeback from a 25-point deficit in the third quarter was huge. He finished the game a team-high plus-29.
Considering the Bulls lost by 16 points, that’s not easy to do.
‘‘A couple of guys told me about it, but I didn’t see the stat sheet,’’ Terry said of his accomplishment. ‘‘I don’t really aim for that, but [I’ve] got to keep doing it.’’
If he wants to keep getting heavy minutes for the short-handed Bulls, he certainly does.
Besides his 2-for-3 shooting night, Terry grabbed three rebounds, had three blocks, drew a charge and handed out an assist. More important, he played defense with a chaotic energy that usually is reserved for guard Alex Caruso.
‘‘Last game against Atlanta, [Terry] wasn’t great for the time that he got in there,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘But he responded [against the Pacers] and gave us really good minutes. He was part of the group that was out there and got us back in the game. Dalen is competitive and wants to learn, wants to get better. I give him credit for continuing to keep himself ready.’’
That means continuing to show he understands grasping the details.
‘‘Everybody is going to make mistakes; nobody is going to be clean,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘It’s just more of the attention to detail on scouting, preparation, those kinds of things. Taking care of the basketball. But I thought he played with really good energy. He did a lot of things that he could really control. It’s not necessarily giving him more of a leash, but it’s him playing to his strengths.’’
That’s something he will continue to get an opportunity to do.
Injured guard Zach LaVine (right foot) has started running and cutting but has yet to take contact in practices. Forward Torrey Craig (plantar fasciitis) is weeks away from testing his injured foot and getting a more definitive timetable. Then there’s center Nikola Vucevic (groin), who still is waiting to start running.
Factor in that Donovan knows he has been putting heavy minutes on the 34-year-old shoulders of DeMar DeRozan, and there’s playing time to be had.
‘‘I feel game by game I get a little bit more comfortable,’’ Terry said. ‘‘I definitely feel when I was out there [against the Pacers] I impacted the game in a lot of different ways, whether it was getting guys the ball, defending, creating energy. . . . I feel that makes [Donovan] trust me a little bit more as I am out there.’’
The Bulls will have a home-and-home Saturday and Tuesday against the 76ers, then will take on coach Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks on Wednesday. Those are two physical teams against whom energy will be a must.
There will be minutes for Terry to grab.
It remains to be seen what he will do with them.
