Dalen Terry’s selection continues the Chicago Bulls’ focus on perimeter defense and transition play

The Chicago Bulls took a swing on a wing Thursday, drafting Dalen Terry out of Arizona to add to their increasingly versatile guard unit.

Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said the decision to select Terry was a matter of picking “the best player on the board” when the team went on the clock. Although they debated trading up or down throughout the night, the Bulls stayed at the No. 18 pick.

“We took a lot of calls for both scenarios and nothing stood out to us,” Eversley said. “When Dalen was on the board and we saw that we were going to be able to select him, we were excited about it.”

Terry was a glue player in two seasons at Arizona, defending at a frenetic pace around the perimeter, evidenced by his 1.2 steals per game last season. His athleticism allowed the Wildcats to explode through scattered defenses on the break.

Although Terry wasn’t a pick predicted to land in Chicago, his length and defensive acumen will bolster the Bulls as they continue to build a philosophy around disrupting offenses and running the floor.

“He’s going to bring versatility on both ends of the floor,” Eversley said. “Last year early on, we had a lot of success when we created turnovers defensively and got out and ran. I think he’s somebody who’s going to be able to do that for us.”

Both Eversley and Terry emphasized a key point on draft night — patience. At 19, Terry is a young, raw product with only two seasons of NCAA play under his belt.

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Terry brought up his shooting flaws during his draft night media availability. He averaged only eight points per game as a sophomore at Arizona, attempting only 2.1 3-pointers and making it to the free throw line less than two times per game.

Although Terry spent the offseason working on his pull-up shooting — which he believes has already improved drastically since the end of the college season in March — Eversley said Summer League and training camp will be important learning steps for the young wing.

“He’s a capable 3-point shooter, (but) I wouldn’t call him a 3-point shooter,” Eversley said. “He’s a pretty good shooter, but he probably needs to work on his shooting.”

Eversley said the Bulls plan to ease Terry into NBA play, which could mean he’ll spend a decent chunk of his rookie season developing in practice with the first team while picking up minutes with the Windy City Bulls.

But last season proved that a front office can only plan a rookie’s introduction to the league so much after guard Ayo Dosunmu was thrust into starting 40 games.

Regardless of how many minutes Terry spends on the United Center court, Eversley said the Bulls feel confident in the energy the young wing will bring.

“We’re not worried about whether he’s going to do the work or not,” Eversley said. “He’s got the perfect makeup in terms of a kid who’s going to come in and do the things every single day to try to get better. We’re excited about that.”