Tyrell Terry
Stanford Cardinal
19.5 Years Old
By Max Feldman
In Partnership with PearlScouting
Strengths
- Natural shot maker at all three levels, extremely fluid
- Elite touch on floaters and mid range, can finish effectively with either hand
- High IQ coming around screens – wraps, fades, dive downs
- Excels in transition, catches defenses off-guard with quick release
- Zone killer, makes defenders pay for closing too hard consistently
- Strong, tight handle with deceptive quickness
Weaknesses
- Extremely slight frame
- Poor assist to turnover ratio
- Defensive liability
- Not a natural playmaker for others
Overall
Partially the Trae Young comparison, and partially the development under the radar as one-and-done prospect at Stanford has made Tyrell Terry a potential first round NBA Draft selection.
Terry is incredibly crafty, and no doubt has the stroke/touch to be a top 20 pick, but there are a few variables that make him not as Trae Young-esque. Young led the NCAA in assists in one season at OU, while Terry only had 3.2 assists per game while adding 2.6 turnovers per game. Terry is a legit, natural shot maker and shot creator at all three levels but does not create for others at a high level. Terry is very efficient shooting 44% from the field, 41% from beyond the arc on a high volume and 89% from the free throw stripe. Strong instincts and lightning quickness in small areas allows Terry to get to his spots fast and with space to spare, netting soft floaters, mid-range jumpers around picks and pull up threes. A quick flick of the wrist motion similar to Trae Young allows him to get shots up against close outs with limitless range. An all-around scoring weapon at the point guard position, with remarkably consistent percentiles in nearly every single type of set in his singular collegiate season.
Terry’s frame and motor are reason for question and will be the reason he is not a lottery pick or why he’ll return to the Cardinal for a sophomore campaign. A 160-pound frame led to him getting to the free throw rarely for a player of his volume. The Minnesota native did not rate well in any defensive category this season, and often had to be hidden in a zone defense in Pac-12 play.
Outlook
Outside of the natural playmaking and vision, Tyrell Terry’s skillset is very similar to Trae Young’s. Yet, the margin of error on defense in combination with the absence of elite passing abilities make him a boarder line top 20 pick even with such imposing offensive numbers and a young draft age. Terry needs an NBA weight program to solidify his build but has the skill and flare to produce at the highest level. At best, Terry is a starting point guard playing besides a facilitating, defense-oriented combo guard. At worst, he is a “microwave” type of spark plug guard off the bench who can stretch the floor and speed up the game.
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