CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Second-year reserve guard Dalen Terry didn’t like a screen that Hornets 7-footer Nick Richards threw on him Monday night, enough that he chose to try to run through it rather than avoid contact. He earned a foul but also a pat on the backside from Bulls coach Billy Donovan when he came out of the game a few minutes later.
Little things continue to add up for the 2022 first-round pick.
“The thing I like about him is [that] as a young player, maybe getting consistent minutes this year where last year he didn’t, you know there’s going to be these moments of down where he’s not going to play well,” Donovan said. “I always try and look at younger players as, ‘How do they come back and respond?’ . . . It’s not even making or missing shots, [but] defensive rotations, assignments, sending a guy left and he doesn’t do that, or [he] forgets to block out, leaves his feet on a shot fake and fouls a shooter. Those are the things that he’s got to get more consistent on. [But] when he’s had games where he’s done those things, he’s always come back and responded really well, and I always think that’s a good sign.”
It’s also earning Terry trust, as seen in his minutes. With the Bulls increasingly closer to full strength, he was still out there Monday getting playing time with the second unit, finishing with two points in 11:40 against the Hornets.
Donovan continues to preach the little things but also has gotten on Terry about being more aggressive in his shot-taking rather than passing the ball every time — a balance Terry admits he’s still working on.
“I have a mentality to always get everybody else the ball, getting everyone involved, and I’ve always been like that,” Terry said. “Obviously, with the way our team was, I didn’t think I was a guy who had to come in and get us 20 [points], so it’s just overthinking it sometimes. [Donovan] just told me to play like I always play, and as soon as he told me that, I was more aggressive. Every game, I get a little more comfortable.”
Minute men
Guard Zach LaVine (right foot, shoulder) and center Nikola Vucevic (groin) came off the bench for a second consecutive game, restricted to 35:40 and 30:29, respectively, as both continue to find their wind.
How long will that last? Donovan said the Bulls’ medical staff will continue to monitor both players. As their minutes expand, so will the likelihood of them returning to starting roles.
“[The staff evaluated] them coming out of the game [Friday], how they felt just going through the normal checkups on the table every day,” Donovan said. “We practiced [Sunday], and both went through the whole practice, for the most part.”
Rush hour
Donovan’s message to guard Coby White during his recent slump from three-point range has been simple: Slow down.
“I think he’s gotten some good looks that he just hasn’t knocked down,” Donovan said. “I don’t think he’s been totally disrupted by those first-teamer elite defenders [who now guard him]. I don’t feel that way. I do feel that sometimes he’s gotten into situations where he’s rushed. It’s tough when you’re rushing shots.”
