NEW YORK – When you’re given the nickname Dougie McBuckets, it’s no secret that your specialty is putting the basketball where its intended destination is, even if your NBA team changes within a 10 minute time span.
Doug McDermott wound up in potentially the best possible spot for him thanks to the Chicago Bulls, who gave up their two first round picks (16 and 19) to Denver for McDermott after selecting him with the 11th overall pick. The Bulls needed to find someone who could come in and score right away to take some of the burden off of a returning Derrick Rose.
During his senior year campaign at Creighton, McDermott led the nation in scoring (26.7 ppg) and did it in a variety of ways. He made 57 percent of his two point shots, 45 percent of his three point shots (while taking six per game) and made 86 percent of his free throws. This wasn’t just a one year explosion; McDermott’s scoring average went up during each of his four years in college. Wait college basketball players are actually allowed to go to school for four years and graduate with a degree!?
It was apparent during his final two seasons that he had a skill that could transfer over to the NBA, but the biggest question mark around McDermott is his ability to improve the rest of his game, especially his defense, into an acceptable level in the NBA. McBuckets knows what has to be done.
“Defensively I have to get a lot better and be able to prove that I can guard some of those positions that’s the main thing,” he said on Wednesday during the pre-draft media availability. “I know I can score, I know I can shoot, I know I can move without the ball, but you know the main thing is on the defensive end.”
He’s worked on more than just his defense and it sounds as though McDermott has been working on improving every aspect of his offensive game since his college career wrapped up, but perhaps nothing more so than his ability to control his own offense.
“Ball handling a lot just because there is a lot of space in the NBA and the more you can create for yourself, the more successful you’re going to be.”
McDermott also understands that the transition into the NBA isn’t just going to be about evolving his physical abilities, changing his mental approach to life as a member of the NBA is just as important.
“You know it’s different, I’ve been in college for four years, so all of a sudden I’m going to have all of this free time, so I’m going to be in the gym a lot more than I was. Obviously I’m going to be getting paid money to do it now, so it’s a job,” McDermott said. “You gotta take it real serious because there are a lot of good players in this world that can come up at the next level and take your job at some point.”
But what job would a player be taking? McDermott’s skill set lends itself perfectly to that of a small-ball four, which would likely be his calling card if he were two inches taller (he’s currently listed at 6’8”). If he plays the three, he’s going to have to guard the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.
So what position does McDermott think he’ll be at the next level?
“A three, I think I’ll play the three at the next level. In college I played the four for the most part just because we were pretty small, but we switched one through four sometimes one through five, so I’ve guarded a lot of wings during my four years,” he said.
Could he be a small-ball four?
“I think so. I think you’ve seen more stretch fours who aren’t quite as tall, so you know I think I could help there. Certainly once I am established in the league and maybe put on some more weight and bulk I could potentially guard fours too.”
The toughest transition for Dougie McBuckets is going to be bursting through the sticker that says “Hello, I’m a shooter and I can’t do anything else”. It’s a label that has doomed many before McDermott (HI JIMMER!), but it’s also one that he recognizes. It’s something that has driven him during the time between the end of his college career and the draft.
“A lot of people label me as just a spot up shooter, but I think that I’m a lot more than that. I feel like I can put the ball on the floor and come off of screens really well, so I’ve been working on that a lot.”
Welcome to the windy city Mr. McBuckets.
Twitter: @Scottdargis
