Doug McDermott has had a great four years at the university of Creighton. He will go down as one of the best scorers in college basketball history and will be a first-round pick in this upcoming draft. McDermott's hard work paid off as the Creighton star was a near-unanimous pick as the AP Player of the Year.
McDermott, led the nation with nearly 27 points per game and finished his career with 3,150 points. McDermott finished his career ranked fifth in NCAA history with 3,150 points and 10th in field goals made (1,141).
"I never thought I'd be in this position," McDermott told the Associated Press regarding the NBA scouts who have watched his games. "To have those guys come and watch is pretty cool. I've come a long way since early in my career. The NBA has always been a dream of mine. To be in a position to maybe make that happen is pretty cool."
With comparisons of Larry Bird and Kyle Korver, let's take a look at Doug McDermott skills and overall talent as draft day inches closer and closer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fpbKYyEOiE
Pre-Draft Measurements and Stats
- Age: 22 (born 01/03/92)
- Class: Senior
- Height: 6-foot-8
- Weight: 223 pounds
2013-14 Season Stats
- 33.7 Minutes per game
- 26.9 Points per game
- 7.0 Rebounds per game
- 1.6 Assists per game
- 1.8 Turnovers per game
- 0.2 Steals per game
- 51.1 Field goal %
- 44.9 3-PT%
- 88.4 FT%
Strengths
McDermott is an excellent shooter, particularly for his size (6-foot-8). Doug's offensive versatility makes him a matchup problem. At his height, McDermott can post up smaller forwards and his shooting ability makes slower power forward come out the paint to guard him.
McDermott also has a very high basketball IQ with him being a coaches' son. Incredibly efficient overall player as he averaged 26.7 points per game this year on only 17.9 shots.
McDermott has an extremely smooth shot release and a quick release. Catch and shoot, isolation, pick and pop—you name it, McDermott is a great 3-point shooter.
All of those attributes are valuable to any NBA team, so I don't see McDermott being demoted to a D-League team like many other first-year players. He has great offensive instincts that can easily impact a teams performance during the season.
Weaknesses
While McDermott is a great 3-point shooter, He struggles against longer, taller defenders. He is a very mediocre ball handler and his offensive skills off the dribble are very inefficient.
McDermott is also a poor post defender with an average wingspan of 6-foot-8. McDermott has trouble staying in-front of more athletic forwards and stronger forwards.
His defense will be a liability going into the NBA. Not a good perimeter or post defender for sure.
McDermott's average athleticism and poor wingspan will be a huge issue in the NBA. Doug has no true position. Will he guard the power forward position or the small forward position?
Synopsis
Doug McDermott is an offensive monster with a great shooting form. While he doesn't have great athletic ability he has the skills and instincts needed in the NBA.
He's nowhere near the likes of a Larry Bird (yes, people have compared Doug to Larry Legend), but he will have a solid NBA career.
NBA Comparison: Tracy Murray, Wally Szczerbiak , Kyle Korver
Projected NBA Role: 6th Man, Role player
Projected Pick: Mid-first round
