Early Takeaways from Doug McDermott's Performance with Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls rookie Doug McDermott has had an up-and-down rookie year so far. This isn’t surprising at all, as adjusting to life in the NBA can be tough for a first-year player, especially early on.
Through five games, he’s averaging 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 45.5 percent from the field (25 percent from long-distance).
McDermott is best known for his career at Creighton University, finishing as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA Division I history. The Ames, Iowa native was named the 2014 Naismith College National Player of the Year as a senior, averaging 26.7 points and shooting a blistering 52.6 percent from the field.
Drafted by the Denver Nuggets 11th overall last June, McDermott was immediately dealt to Chicago in a deal involving two first-round picks. Nowadays, he’s serving as a role player off the Bulls bench after being “The Man” at the collegiate level.
What have we seen thus far from the man they call “Dougie McBuckets?”
Highlights
On opening night against the New York Knicks, most Bulls fans had their eyes set on Derrick Rose, who was playing his first regular-season game since last November.
But we also wanted to see McDermott’s debut as well. The sweet-shooting youngster would not disappoint, recording 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal. And he knocked down five of his nine shot attempts, including a pair of threes.
McDermott showcased his all-around skills during the game, drilling shots, driving to the basket and getting his teammates involved. With his help, the Bulls simply crushed the Knicks 104-80 at Madison Square Garden.
He also looked pretty sharp versus the Orlando Magic on November 4th. Playing only 11 minutes, he contributed 12 points and a rebound while shooting 4-of-6 from the field and hitting all three of his free-throw attempts.
McDermott scored all of his points during the second quarter. But for some reason, coach Tom Thibodeau decided not to play him in the second half. Who knows what type of night he could’ve had if he received more minutes.
In case you missed the game, here are his highlights:
Fast-forward to the 0:42 mark to see McDermott’s nifty two-handed slam. After hanging out behind the three-point line, he cut to the basket, he received a great pass from fellow rookie Nikola Mirotic and then he threw it down.
Lowlights
While McDermott had a solid debut, his second game of the season wasn’t so magnificent. Facing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Halloween night, he finished with a bagel next to his name in the scoring column. He did, however, have a great block on Matthew Dellavedova.
It was McDermott’s first scoreless outing since back in December 2010 when he was a freshman at Creighton.
Perhaps rookie jitters were the reason behind his performance versus Cleveland. Playing your first regular-season home game is sure to make you just a little bit nervous. You don’t want to let the crowd down.
Unfortunately, McDermott was also held scoreless in the November 5th meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks. Yet, he only played seven minutes of action.
We’ll see a few not-so-amazing nights from him as the season goes on. Again, rookie life is tough.
Takeaways
One thing about McDermott that stands out is his confidence. Even when his shot isn’t finding the bottom of the net, he continues to shoot. He doesn’t give up.
During the preseason, Thibodeau spoke about his "swag," via Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago:
"He's got a lot of confidence, Thibodeau said. I know where confidence comes from. Work and preparation. What do we call it now? Swag. We called it confidence back in the day. Where does it come from? People say, 'Well, he's a real confident guy.' The thing that you find is that the guys that put the work in, that gives you confidence. Each game is a test. It reveals exactly where you are. In this league, you can't skip steps.
"
Isn’t it hilarious to hear Thibs use the word “swag?” Anyway, it is what it is.
McDermott has struggled to reach the foul line this season. He’s only gotten there three times, and that happened in one game. He impressively hit 22 of his 23 free-throw attempts during the Summer League. But of course, summer-league ball isn’t anything like the regular season. He needs to find a way to reach the charity stripe more often since he serves as a quality free throw shooter.
McDermott has shown the ability to move well without the ball, often running around in circles and giving defenders fits as they chase him. Plus, he’s good at cutting to the basket.
Mike Dunleavy is currently Chicago's starter at small forward. However, if McDermott's outside shot starts to fall consistently and his defense improves, he could supplant the veteran before the regular season closes. This kid is going to get better and better as the days go by.
All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com. and accurate as of Nov.7, 2014.
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