It was a bad time for Dalen Terry to be sidelined.
The Bulls reserve has watched his stock continue to rise the last few weeks, not only getting more consistent playing time, but also getting the chance to close out several games in crunch time.
That was put on hold on Tuesday, however, with Terry getting kicked in the right calf in Monday’s loss to the Thunder and needing a recovery day. The hope was not a long one.
I think he’s been a lot more reliable,” coach Billy Donovan said of Terry’s turnaround. “For young players the biggest thing is the consistency part and being able to … for him specifically, sometimes fouling. Like it happened on the first play of the game (Monday). He’s really done a good job of cleaning that stuff up and I think he’s been much better there.
“He’s always been very active defensively in terms of being disruptive and getting his hands in passing lanes and things like that. He’s been more consistent. He’s cut down on his mistakes and mistakes that were things he could control. To his credit, I think through watching film and through some of these experiences, I think he’s improved in those areas.”
Terry’s also changed his mindset in Year 3.
It used to be he had hopes of playing, and now it’s more about making sure to be prepared to play whenever and wherever. Hope has nothing to do with it.
“Being here for three years I kind of know how the rotation is going,” Terry said. “So I just try and do my best every time I get in there just to be in the conversation of being in the game as long as possible. A couple games ago I finished the game, and then last game I was in there for my defense, but I know it’s different every single night so just about staying ready.”
Asked if it’s tough keeping that mentality, especially with so much uncertainty from game-to-game, Terry responded, “It kind of is the norm. It could be tough depending how you look at it, but this is what the (bleep) I signed up for.”
**Expected honor**
Coby White had quite the month of March, named Eastern Conference Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks, so it wasn’t a huge surprise that the league announced on Tuesday that White was also named Eastern Conference Player of the Month.
White averaged 27.7 points per game in leading the Bulls to a 9-6 record, and that only helped put him in the spotlight with the Bulls having one of their more successful months of the season.
“For him to win Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks, you felt like he was going to have a pretty good opportunity to be Player of the Month, so I’m happy for him,” Donovan said. “It’s good to see someone like him get rewarded for being a part of (the winning record).”
**Ball update**
The next two days will be key for Lonzo Ball and his injured right wrist, as the guard missed his 16th game with the injury.
The Bulls will continue to run him through five-on-five full-contact scrimmages and as long as there are no setbacks, the hope is he would be able to return to the rotation for Friday’s game with the Trail Blazers.
It’s basically going to come down to pain tolerance for Ball until he can rest it fully in the offseason.
“It’s not going to resolve itself for months,” Donovan said. “There is no problem medically in him going out there and playing.”