Atlanta Hawks NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Tyrell Terry

Finding a fit with the Atlanta Hawks for Standford point guard Tyrell Terry.

Just yesterday, I wrote about whether or not the Atlanta Hawks should use a draft pick to find their backup point guard. I weighed the options of using their likely top-five pick on the likes of LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Cole Anthony, or Killian Hayes, but there are even more point guards to be had later on.

If the Hawks were to trade down, there are a handful of point guards likely to go in the 20s, including Tre Jones, Kira Lewis Jr, and Tyrell Terry. Terry, the Stanford freshman, has been shooting up draft boards since the season ended, with some scouts and analysts very high on the free-shooting guard.

One knock on the four likely top-ten point guards listed above is consistent outside scoring, something that Terry almost certainly won’t struggle with at the next level. Only Haliburton made a higher percentage of threes (41 to 40 percent) than Terry.

Many have noted Terry’s silky smooth jumper that impressed all season. His feet barely leave the ground but he still launches from high above his head. If he can become a star in the NBA, it’s the kind of jump shot kids will be imitating in their driveways.

He’ll mostly be known as a perimeter scorer up until the draft, but is certainly capable of finishing inside as well. He uses tight handles to get to the rim, and acrobatic moves to finish. While watching his tape, it’s not hard to see some similarities to a young Kyrie Irving in that regard.

There are some questions surrounding Terry, such as his size (6’1, 160) and occasional bad decision making, which will keep Terry from inching much closer to the lottery. Some also question his offensive rating, which was questionable at best, especially considering his lethal perimeter scoring.

Fit with Atlanta Hawks:

If you haven’t noticed yet, Tyrell Terry’s draft profile sounds awfully similar to that of Trae Young‘s. Although defense is not as much as a question for Terry as it was Young, both are undersized, sharpshooting point guards whose so-so team record (Standford finished 20-12) left some scouts scratching their heads.

Obviously Trae isn’t a 1:1 comparison for Terry, especially when there might be an even better comparison in the same draft (Cole Anthony), but Terry could certainly be a Trae Young-type player in the NBA if he’s given the ball enough.

If the Hawks do trade down to select Terry, they’d be taking a chance on someone who could certainly fill the Hawks’ backup point guard spot for years to come. Given that they are both 6’1, Young and Terry likely wouldn’t play much together, although Young did log some minutes alongside the 6-foot Brandon Goodwin this year.

Terry could work both as a facilitator and deep-scoring threat in the NBA, the two things Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce seems to want in his ones.

Should the Atlanta Hawks draft Tyrell Terry?