June 17, 2014

Very forgiveable face.

So as to not bury the lede, let us let be known immediately that Terrell is a chucker. He was given an opportunity to be a chucker this season on a USC team bereft of offensive ability, yet he was a chucker before then, and if he was anything like the scorer and shooter he played like he was, he would not have shot those percentages.

Terrell can score, as evidenced by the points per minute, and he is unfailingly confident. When driving the ball, Terrell has a herky-jerky way of snaking to the basket, using athleticism and body control rather than a particularly refined handle. He changes direction very well, has a long wingspan, good athletic ability and can finish athletically around the basket, as and when he can get there. Always prepared to run in transition, and always attacking in the half court, Terrell can on a good day provide instant offense, and USC very much needed this from him. Terrell also uses this speed on defense, where he applies a decent amount of ball pressure, the occasional passing lane gamble notwithstanding.

The problems come with his understanding of his limitations. Terrell goes for the flair play far too often, overcomplicates things, and routinely either loses the ball or throws it wildly at the rim. He is a poor three point shooter who takes a lot of them anyway, and specifically, he thinks he is a much better shooter off the dribble than he actually is. Terrell turns it over a huge amount due to his poor handle, reckless attacking and tendency to drive into trouble, combined with far too many quick pull-up jump shots when they aren't necessary. USC struggled for offense, yes, but Terrell was part of the reason why, not the cure he sought to be.

Small, and not in the least bit a point guard, Terrell is thus in a bind. He is not as good as he thinks he is and as though he plays, with no obvious position or stand-out skill. If he was a bit more tempered, a bit more capable of playing point guard, and much better defensively, Terrell could perhaps be a microwave-type combo guard somewhere. But as it is, he is just unreliable.

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