Terrance Ferguson went against the norm, and so could the Bulls
Terrance Ferguson:
SG | 6-foot-7| Age: 19| Adelaide 36ers
You don’t see this very much: an American basketball player forgoing a college program to play overseas instead. That’s Terrance Ferguson. He spent this past season with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League in Australia. He’ll surely be the first to tell you he made the right call, though we’ll see how that translates to the NBA.
In 30 games with the 36ers, Ferguson averaged 4.6 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 15.1 minutes a game. Yeah, it doesn’t look very impressive, but he made an impact and saw the floor in crunch time. That can be beneficial for a spot-up shooter like him as well as the maturity level he’s displayed. Whoever takes him will get a true team player, which is never easy to do when you’re so young.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Ferguson is primarily a shooter, but also a high flyer as evidenced by his 38-inch vertical in the draft combine. So no matter how he attempts his field goals, you can count on seeing the ball get a lot of height, which should make him tough to defend. He defends on the ball well, is willing take on the opposing team’s best perimeter player and won’t back down on that part of his game when it’s called for.
Some players would die for their team and Ferguson is one of them. He’s unselfish, and if plays aren’t being drawn up for him, he won’t complain. On top of that, he enjoys being on the court and has a personality that would light up a room. It’s safe to assume he won’t mind doing the odd jobs or hazing that comes with being a rookie.
Ferguson’s athleticism is there, but whether we see it much in a game, especially in the half-court, remains a question. He’s not a midrange player, good ball handler or playmaker. There aren’t a whole lot of ways he can score and he’s not very useful on offense if his shooting isn’t there. Defenses will figure him out quickly unless he has a hot evening.
While he certainly means well for his team, his passivity on the court indicates he defers to his teammates a little too often. If he’s the best player on the floor at a given time, his play might indicate otherwise. This might not be a player to whom you want to give minutes in a close NBA game, even though he had such a role in Australia. If you do, you might be disappointed by his results.
Why would the Bulls take him?
Ferguson is the athlete Gar Forman wants and the shooter Fred Hoiberg wants. After being away from the American game for a season, he could quickly learn Hoiball, maybe even thrive in it as he matures. That also means his defense will get better with time. Such a player would be a bonus on this team because after all, the Bulls aren’t the defensive juggernaut they were under Tom Thibodeau.
As a shooting guard, Ferguson could stand to learn from naturals at the position in Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade. It’s tough to ask for a better education on how to play that role at the highest level. An athletic shooter, he could add one more dimension to his game that Doug McDermott never really possessed. Maybe the Bulls screwed up with him, but they can start fresh with Ferguson.
Looking Ahead:
While Ferguson is likely to be on the board when the Bulls pick, they’ll probably pass on him. He’s currently projected as a late first-rounder. NBADraft.net has him going to the Toronto Raptors at 23rd and DraftExpress projects him to go at 25th to the Orlando Magic.
This is a draft with a lot of bigs slated to go in the mid-to-late portion of the first round. The Bulls need someone in the middle because there’s not enough young blood there besides Cristiano Felicio. Another guard would further clog an already crowded group. If I’m Forman, I pass here.
Sign-up for our Newsletter! Bulls Confidential in your inbox every Friday!!
