As he failed to appear significantly in his rookie year and was eventually buried in the Chicago Bulls’ prioritized depth chart this season, Terry couldn't ask for a better moment to finally showcase his worth and talent.
The 21-year-old used to pray for times like these, and as it appeared, he confidently stepped forward when Billy Donovan called him up urgently to fill Torrey Craig's shoes.
Next man up
With the Bulls experiencing various injuries throughout its rotation units, Dalen immediately saw a bump in his role and exposure.
After settling on sparse minutes, he managed to play 16 minutes and 10 minutes against the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers from the previous days, respectively. But against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, he instantly enjoyed a season-best action.
Dalen went on to log a hefty 21 minutes for the Bulls and provided two points, five boards, and three assists. He might have committed an airball three-point play, but his defense against LeBron James and engagement with the team's passing clinic has developed positive impacts.
The performance and efforts he made are truly commendable, and Dalen can only credit Craig for tapping him directly about the massive opportunity he is now seizing for the Bulls.
"It’s unfortunate what happened to Torrey. But he embraced me the most. He was like, ‘Cmon, bro, it’s your time to go,’“ he said.
Live up to the moment
Upon averaging 6.5 minutes before the winning showcase against the Lakers, Terry is now about to welcome a much-awaited surge of game time as he moves forward.
Regardless of this, he surely won't waste any single second of helping Chicago continue its sizzling run.
“I go with the flow to be honest with you,” Terry said. “I already knew with the injuries and how everything was going that there would be playing time that could be increased for me, but you just never know. Nothing is ever set in stone, so just try and make the most of what I can with the minutes I get.”
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