The NBA spotlight can be daunting and intimidating for young players. With everyone’s attention on you and high expectations to perform, especially for someone selected with the 19th overall pick last year, it takes mental toughness to thrive in the league. For Chicago Bulls guard Dalen Terry, however, this pressure is nothing new.
The 21-year-old rookie from Arizona has always embraced the spotlight and relished in big moments. In fact, he credits his mental approach to the game as one of his biggest strengths.
Not be afraid of the challenge
The Bulls are in dire straits. With the pursuit of a spot in the Play-In Tournament intensifying, Chicago is heading to battle without several key players. Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams have already been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to foot surgeries, while reserve forward Torrey Craig is out indefinitely because of a sprained knee.
This has left the Bulls thin and desperate for someone to step up. And that's exactly where Dalen Terry can come in.
“We know we’re short-handed right now, but the way the vets on this team talk to me, talk to [rookie forward] Julian [Phillips], they preach not to be afraid of the challenge,” Terry said.
“This is how you’re going to make your name in the league if you want to be here for a long time.”
Building a bond with Julian Phillips
Terry and rookie forward Julian Phillips are the two players Bulls coach Billy Donovan would likely turn to fill in the gaps in every game. Against the Pelicans, Terry got the opportunity, playing 15 minutes and producing two points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He was also a team-high +17 on the +/- metric. Meanwhile, Phillips played only two minutes and did not register a single stat.
Terry attributes his productive outing to his fearless approach to every game.
‘‘The way I’ve always approached the game is, I’m not afraid of the moment,” Terry said.
“I know Julian is the same way. Us both being young guys and seeing each other through the early part of our careers, we both were talking constantly about that. Me and him talk about our thoughts every single day, about what’s here in front of us and how we’ve got to do better, do what it takes to sustain our rotation minutes.”
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