Doug McDermott
College: Creighton
Age: 22 years old
Height: 6’8″ Weight: 225 Lbs
Position: SF
NBA Comparison: Chandler Parsons
Last season Doug McDermott lead the Creighton Bluejays to a 27-8 record in the Big East. The four-year senior had a remarkable final season for the Bluejays, as he was named the 2014 Wooden award winner to go along with the following accolades:
- 2013 – 2014 AP Player of the Year
- 2013 – 2014 NABC Player of the Year
- 2013 – 2014 Sporting News Player of the Year
- 2013 – 2014 USBWA Player of the Year
- 2013 – 2014 Naismith award winner
- 2013 – 2014 Consensus All-America 1st Team
The all-time NCAA leader in points (3150), McDermott finished his career averaging 21.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. It’s safe to assume that McDermott put the Creighton Bluejays on the NCAA map and you will likely see him selected in the late lottery to middle of the first round come draft night.
Strengths:
There is a reason this guy is nicknamed “McBuckets”. In his senior season, Doug McDermott led the nation averaging 26.7 points per game while finishing first in total points (934). McBuckets can score from anywhere on the floor, as he lead the Big East in 2-Point field goals made (234), while finishing second in 3-Point field goals made (96) and overall 3-Point percentage (.449). There is no doubt that his effortless shooting stroke will translate well at the NBA level. If you watch his highlight packages, he even has the Dirk Nowitzki “one footer” shot in his arsenal.
Having been a coach’s son, and playing all four years of NCAA ball, McDermott has the experience and basketball IQ to make a successful transition to the NBA. McDermott also takes care of the basketball averaging only 1.8 turnovers in his senior season.
Weaknesses:
The knock on McDermott is his lack of athleticism & explosiveness on the court. At 6’8’, McDermott is considered somewhat of a tweener; he doesn’t have the speed to effectively guard the small forward position, and is too small to battle down low with NBA power forwards. He will need to be drafted by the right team, with the right defensive schemes to ensure they can find a way to keep him on the court.
McDermott will also struggle to score around the rim. His leaping ability will not do him any favors at the NBA level; and his lack of explosiveness will make it difficult for him to create his own shot. Like Kyle Korver in Atlanta, McDermott will need his NBA club to run a lot of set plays to free him up for open looks. There will be nights where his shot isn’t falling, and with these limitations, it may be tough for his coach to keep him on the floor.
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