Dalen Terry: 6'7.25" 195 lbs

Dalen Terry, due to his versatility, length (7'0.75" wingspan) and athleticism while being able to be a point guard has caused him to climb up draft boards greatly. I watched Terry live for 2 games this season and many others on TV or on my computer, and kept repeating, "this is why Arizona is winning this game". Not Mathurin nor Koloko, who each had monster games vs TCU in one of the games I saw live, but Dalen Terry, due to his defensive and intangible impacts on the game. Terry is the ultimate glue guy who offers more than just wing defense and facilitation. Terry can slash and finish at the rim impressively and his shot which is a swing skill is far from broken, shooting 50% from the field, 36% from 3, and 74% from the free throw line. Terry makes everyone on the court around him better, accepting his role and excelling in the role of lock-down perimeter defender with playmaking responsibilities. Terry should be able to impact winning in the NBA using those intangible qualities he possesses and perhaps with more spacing, he can drive more often to use his athletic ability and size to score off of drives whether on ball or attacking closeouts.

Strengths:

• Excellent defender who has a tendency to turn defense into offense.

• Good passer who uses his height to see over defenses and locate cutters and open roll men or shooters.

• Could be a good spot-up shooter. He made progress from his first to second year in college. This past season, he made 36.8 percent of spot-up 3s and 36% overall.

• Terry in the open floor is fabulous with or without the ball in his hands, he flies up and down the court and finishes superbly.

• He shot 68.6% around the rim this season and is the type of athlete that can make that happen in the NBA if he puts on muscle.

• Outstanding cutter when away from the ball.

• Per Synergy sports, Terry shut down isolation possessions at times, holding opponents to just 36.4% in isolation possessions against him. On the season, opponents shot just 31.5% when guarded by Terry.

Concerns:

• Will need to prove he is a threat from deep on catch and especially off bounce.

• Does not create for himself too often and should work on that aspect.

• Could use 10 pounds of added weight in order to defend 1-3 at highest level and perhaps even 4's.

Dalen Terry is one of my favorite players in the 2022 NBA Draft because he makes every teammate of his better and does not go out of his way to get his. He plays winning basketball, maximizing his traits to the benefit of the team. Terry projects to be a very good defender for years to come in the NBA, that would thrive in an up-tempo, multiple ball-handlers offense. Terry should become an above league average 3 point shooter that defends, passes and rebounds all at a high level making him outshine his likely draft slot. Dalen Terry reminds me of a mid to late in his career Andre Iguodala who impacts winning enormously by doing a ton of little things amounting to a huge impact on the game. Terry can score 10-13 points in his prime with 6 rebounds 5 assists and superb defense and that is a steal in this draft

The only thing that really really draws me to Terry right now is his height for a point guard. The league is crazing over big guards and Terry is one of those. Aside from his height, he excels at playmaking and helping his team win. He moves the ball well, and grabs rebounds. He is a good defender while being a mismatch for any opposing point guard. His offensive skills aren't polished enough to make a big impact right away, but he has potential.

Comparison: Shaun Livingston (but a point guard)

Projected Draft Range: 38-60

Height 6'7

Weight 195 lbs

Wingspan 7'1

DOB 7/12/02 (Draft Age: 20)

Pre-Draft Team Arizona Wildcats

Offense

• Still improving as a jump shooter.

• Exciting mix of size, length, playmaking and potential.

• Can make the tough passes and find people with drop offs, wrap arounds and cross court finds while taking good care of the ball.

• Fits in with the rest of Arizona's fast break identity well.

• Tough finisher around the glass.

Defense

• Tremendous usage of length for closeouts.

• Has faired well in P&R situations. The overall length to defend 2-4 at minimum.

Swing Factors

Role

• LOW:

• HIGH:

I know a lot of people love Terry. I think he's okay. I think he's more of a project, and I think he's more of a transition player. If you know me you know I don't like transition players and I don't value them highly. Terry def has potential in the half court just due to his playmaking and feel. But needs a lot of development I think. I like his defense which helps him a lot, but I think he's more of a length/athleticism defender rather than a fundamentally sound defender. Don't really view him as an NBA level 3 point shooter as of now but maybe he can improve. Don't really like his release either. Maybe can be a Boris Diaw kind of player. Good cutter and decent finisher so decent value as an off ball player.

Best fits: Denver, Golden State, Memphis

Player analysis

Dalen Terry is one of my favorite players in the draft, he’s a big point guard who is great in transition offense and can make plays at a high level especially for his size. What separates Terry from other big passers is the fact that he is a true point guard, many other players with his skillset are often more of a point forward due to lack of agility/speed but this is not the case for Dalen. He knows how to pass extremely well, he can read when to dish to an open man and where his teammates are when running the floor. Terry pushes the pace of the offense and he thrives in transition, he gets to the basket very well and works best as a cutter when it comes to scoring. Dalen is a quality defender and uses his size at 6’7 with a 7’0 wingspan very well in order to guard 1 - 3, Terry disrupts wings and guards using his length and can lock up on the perimeter. Dalen has an interesting intangible as a teammate, Terry was seen cheering and watching every single player from his agency during their games at the combine. When teams interviewed him they described him as a great teammate and energetic player, one of the most important factors in the draft process is personality and work ethic which may not show up on the stat sheet. Throughout the past few years teams have been looking at players with the description of an oversized ball handler which Dalen Terry fits perfectly, his talent mixed with work ethic should make him a great player for years to come.

Projection

Draft range: [ 14 - 39 ]

Comp: [ Dejounte Murray lite ]

Strengths: Size and Defensive Potential Weaknesses: Shot Creation with Handle and Shooting

High Side Comp: Ben Simmons Lite Low Side Comp: MCW

Ideal Fit: Secondary Playmaking Guard

Draft Range: 12-34

Result: 18- CHI

Athleticism: 7/10 Size: 5/5 Defense: 8/10 Strength: 3/5 Quickness: 6/10 Creation: 2/5 Jumpshot: 4/10 Finishing: 3/5 NBA Ready: 4/5 Ball Handling: 4/10 Passing: 6/10 Intangibles: 4/5 Potential: 8/10 TOTAL: 64= Mid First

Pros:

• Major defensive upside: elite length and guard-like quickness for a wing, great defender on ball, bothers smaller players with his massive wingspan and stays in front on them thanks to his quick feet, amazing timing as an off ball defender, makes difficult reads, comes up with steals using his long arms and pushes immediately in transition

• Playmaking potential: he was used in a strange role at Arizona but his passing skills shined throughout the year as a secondary playmaker, has flashed potential as a P&R initiator, great accuracy on the passes(kickouts, cross court, you name it), without a doubt the best bounce passer in the class(the accuracy is off the charts), threw a lot of lobs to his very athletic teammates this year

• Good finisher at the rim: uses handle, quickness and length to get to the rim and finishes with pleasing touch, can be a lob threat with his long arms

Cons:

• Self creation and shooting are kind of unanswered questions at this point: he wasn't effective in the midrange as he only took a slightly off balance floater with subpar efficiency and really didn't take any midrange pull ups, the floor can shrink as a consequence, the outside shot was just above average this year but on low volume, pull up 3 potential isn't too far fetched, just don't have sufficient information yet

• He's a very raw prospect: while there is a ton of film on him in his two years at Arizona, the main takeaways are his defense and his playmaking, while the rest is for the most part up in the air, he will need time to develop

• He is going to have great length in the NBA, but he needs to work on his strength in order to absorb contact and finish efficiently at the rim and to guard the lineup up to the 4 spot

Dalen is going to become a fan favorite from day 1, as players like him, who bring hustle, heart and leadership to the table, are what makes the NBA so fun to watch. More than anyone he can benefit from a good developmental team with a passionate fanbase that could help him thrive. The defense will earn him minutes from the jump and in the long run I think he'll become one of the best defenders in this draft. High motor coupled with great length and understanding of the game is a great recipe for success. On offense he's a work in project and needs the time to grow without pressure. I think the jumpshot will come around eventually and some glimpses of self creation will appear too. He has the potential to be a really good secondary playmaker. The upside is very high for Dalen: I can see him as an All-Defense, 15/7/7/2/1 at his peak. The possibility he'll reach that ceiling depends a lot on the team that drafts him, but in any scenario I see him as a player that he will end up making a significant impact on winning.

Pros

• can guard 1-3

• big threat in the passing lanes

• solid screen navigator

• good open floor creator

• good reads as a passer in the pick and roll

• great backdoor passer

• uses length to finish around the rim at a good clip

• improved as a shooter especially off the catch and shoot

Cons

• Mid range game is nonexistent

• lacks touch with his floater

• inconsistent 3 point shooter

A late riser by the consensus. Dalen Terry's length at the point guard position stands out, as a 6'7" point guard with a 7-foot wingspan. In his three years at Arizona, he improved his playmaking and passing, fitting passes into tighter windows and making them quick. He was also a good finisher at the rim with good athleticism. He knew how to use his length to his advantage, given his frame at the guard position. That length also allows him to be placed in different spots on offense and defense. His fatal flaw is his shooting and passiveness. He honed in on his passing to the point where he was unselfish to a fault. He improved his shooting over his three year career at UofA, but it is still not up to par with average NBA shooters. His defensive ability is highlighted by his anticipation of passes, defensive rebounding and his potential as a shot-blocking guard, but he tends to jump at every pump fake and struggles with balance. Terry is a very raw prospect that needs two years to develop, maybe some time in the G-League. His improvements every year in college is encouraging, and his work ethic looks like it will translate well at the NBA level.

Player Comparison: Michael Carter-Williams/Will Barton