Dalen Terry oozes confidence in post-workout interview with Portland Trail Blazers
Remember before the start of the NCAA Tournament when Arizona’s star trio of Benn Mathurin, Dalen Terry, and Christian Koloko were asked if they were cocky because they were good or good because they were cocky? Remember Terry’s response shortly after that press conference?
“Not cocky, just REALLY confident in everything I do,” he tweeted.
That tweet should probably just live on the scouting report for anyone from the NBA hoping to get to know the multi-tooled Arizona guard. After a recent workout with the Portland Trail Blazers, Terry spoke with media members and at one point said he’d grind through a rookie NBA season with little spotlight than star another year in college.
Terry, as he described what went into his decision to leave Arizona early and declare for the draft, said he’s been preparing all his life to be an NBA player, not a college player.
“I feel like I’m ready,” he said.
Terry’s stock is strong right now. It feels likely he’ll hear his name called in the first round—something he certainly believes or he might have come back to Tucson for another year. If he’s selected later in the draft, he’ll more than likely be going to a situation that’s in more of a win-now mode than to a team at the top of the draft. That could mean less playing time right out of the gates. He’s currently mocked 27th to the Miami Heat—a participant in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals—by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony
Asked how he’d feel about that kind of situation, Terry shrugged.
“You can put me in any situation and I’m gonna figure it out,” he said.”If I come in and get drafted, (I don’t care) how high, how low, if I don’t play, I’m going to still be fighting in practice and do what I have to do and I’m going to get on the court eventually.”
The 6-foot-7 do-everything guard was a crucial piece of the Wildcats’ 2021-22 Pac-12 championship team. Terry was a nightly triple-double threat whose numbers (eight points a game to go with 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists) didn’t tell the full story. An All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection, Terry was as dangerous handling the ball as he was working off-ball. He shot 36% on 3s and 50% from the field.
The 2022 NBA Draft takes place on Thursday, June 23.
You can see Terry’s full interview with Portland media below:
“I’m labeled as a competitor. So you put me in the gym with anybody & I’m gonna show you why I’m here” – @DalenTerry pic.twitter.com/EV1ZtoIaBj
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) June 15, 2022