Tyrell Terry: 2020 NBA Draft Scouting Report

We all know now that former Stanford Cardinal guard Tyrell Terry is headed to the NBA after just one season. He’ll likely be a first-round draft pick at this point, and thus he chose to keep his name in the draft pool.

While it will be a very different draft than year’s past, this NBA Draft in 2020 will still feature a ton of immense talent at multiple positions.

Terry, considered by some to have an incredibly high ‘ceiling’ while others are even calling him one of the best shooting point guards available, one thing is for sure at this time of the year: There is no shortage of outlets discussing Terry and breaking down his 2019-20 tape from his brief tenure at The Farm.

So, let’s break down the break downs.

Height: 6’1

Weight: 160

Consensus strengths: Shooting, passing

Other strengths: Maturity despite his age, clean release, athleticism

Consensus weaknesses: Size (needs to bulk), defense

Other weaknesses: Adding size likely to affect shot, turnover-prone

Comparisons: Trae Young, Seth Curry, CJ McCollum

Consensus Rank: 22

Rankings total: 28, 17, 22

Primary Resources: NBA.com, The Stepien, NBA Scouting Live, NBA Draft Room, NBADraft.net, NBC Sports

Other SB Nation Resources: At The Hive, Brew Hoop

Tyrell Terry is one of the best shooters in this draft, regardless of position. He can stop on a dime and pull up from well beyond NBA 3-point range, especially when receiving a ball screen and his defender goes underneath it. He has a keen sense of when and where to relocate to off-ball, along with a lightning-quick shot release that can beat nearly any close-out. He does a great job at staying on balance when his shots are challenged, and even when that isn’t possible, his release is consistent. Terry converted on 40.8 percent of his 6.0 3-point attempts per-40 (seventh in the Pac-12) and 89.1 percent of his free throws (first in the Pac-12). Space creation isn’t a strong suit for Terry, but he can get his shot off over nearly any defender because of how quick his release is, and he does a great job at finding his spot over the top of a ball-screen. It’s highly likely that he becomes an elite shooter at the NBA level, whether that be as a spot-up or ball-dominant player.

The pure shooting ability has masked something else thing that Terry is pretty good at; finishing at the rim. He’s a good ball-handler — though he doesn’t have a go-to move (no step-back, crossover, side-step, etc.) and mostly just uses craft to finish over/around defenders— and he attacks close-outs well. His coordination as a movement and pull-up shooter translates to his finishes at the rim, too. The dexterity and body contortion on some of his finishes/passes in the paint are impressive, and help make up for his lack of verticality and explosive athleticism. Terry doesn’t get to the free throw line often enough (.330 FT attempt rate), though, considering he’s an 89.1 percent shooter from the stripe.

Most dangerous next to a big initiator. Can be a dynamic shooter off the ball and attack closeouts. More comfortable passing from a standstill or off the catch. Can be a secondary PnR handler and can run the offense well enough vs bench lineups to provide lineup flexibility and earn more minutes.

Tyrell Terry is a smooth, skilled guard who emerged as a significant difference maker for a Stanford team that exceeded expectations this season. Widely regarded as one of the top-100 prospects in the high school class of 2019 following his senior year at DeLaSalle High School (MN), Terry carved out a significant role for the Cardinal as a true freshman under Head Coach Jerod Haase.

Plenty more on Terry as we progress through the summer and closer to the season.