Bulls looking at No. 8 with McDermott

[rbmcgee]

I think before you think about the draft, you have to make some assumptions about the starting line-up in game 1 next year. I'm an optimist.

!) I would prefer Love to Melo, but it is getting pretty clear that Melo's gonna be the one.
2) Not only because Rose and Noah have injury problems, but because it takes much more than the best 5 to win a championship. 10 Bulls players should average 12 minutes per game next year and Rose/Noah should never play more than 30 minutes.
3) I predict the starting 5 will be Rose, Butler, Melo, Gibson and Noah
4) I would love for the next 5 to be something like, Augustin, Dunleavy, Pick, Mirotic, Jimmer. Very white bench. Bombs away. Thibs #1 job would be to fashion the second team into some sort of a decent team defensive group. Offense is easy. Person A passes to person B and person B shoots, and it doesn't matter who person A is or who person B is. Remember, they will mostly be playing against the second string. Even if the defense isn't that great, the Bulls bench will outscore the other bench in just about every game.

I would love McBuckets to be the pick.

Dynasty!

[kingkirk]

Won't have the athleticism to get those shots off. Sure he'll be able to hit open jumpers but if he is dreadful at everything else he's a net negative.

Blocking shots or not making steals doesn't mean one is not athletic.

[ForLoveofGame]

So the Bulls want to move up to draft another non athletic 4 year in uni white guy with average potential and shoot themselves in the foot again. Whats new ?

We should be looking at Vonleh, Randle, Smart, Harris, Lavine, heck even Staukas before looking at McDermott at 8.

[alucryts]

McDermott will be your prototypical 3 point shooter with high off ball movement if he is going to be successful. If you expect him to create his own shot, then he will fail pretty hard. He is basically a rookie version of Kyle Korver. If he succeeds in that role, he is going to have a place in this league for a very very long time.

He's really not Kyle Korver, he's significantly slower, plays a different style of game, is capable of doing much more offensively. And if he IS Kyle Korver, what a reach. Korver was a great steal in the 2nd, but mid-lotto would have been a bust.

In my opinion if you expect more out of McDermott in the NBA than Kyle Korver, I think you will be disappointed. Also, if he doesn't have a high motor off ball, I would be quick to call him a bust at the NBA level. He is too slow/lumbering to do some of the things he did in college at the NBA level. He can use his athleticism with a high motor to be great off ball with intelligent drives, but otherwise I see him being limited.

I disagree a little. I'm not saying I would take McDermott as first choice. However, he is more than Kyle Korver. Korver only shot 3's in college career (it's his only real calling). At Creighton his senior year, Korver averaged 3.6 attempts a game from 2 compared to McDermott's 11.8. McDermott and Korver are drastically different players in that Korver is faster going around picks and shooting. McDermott can post up smaller opponents or take off bigger opponents off the dribble. McDermott has very good footwork in the post too. If playing small forward, you better believe McDermott will be posting up opponents. McDermott if playing power forward will be stretching out teams and can rebound better than Korver (McDermott is stronger than Korver). I see McDermott as a slightly taller Szczerbiak in a less physical NBA that relies on athletes and not as high basketball IQ players anymore.

I think I responded to this with what I just wrote above, but I don't think McDermott has the athleticism and quickness to do what he did in college in the NBA. With posting up smaller players, that is exactly what he would get running off screens at the baseline taking a pass at the elbow from the top of the key. He either has a wide open mid range shot from his movement, or a smaller player comes up behind him trailing on the screen.

[BrooklynBulls]

I think McDermott COULD be a success if he's able to continue to expand his skill set and particularly skill level in terms of scoring, but I think bust is a much more likely scenario-- particularly if this guy is a lottery pick. I think he's a rotation player for sure, though.

[nomorezorro]

i dont think kyle korver would be a bust if he was picked in the lottery

[BrooklynBulls]

i dont think kyle korver would be a bust if he was picked in the lottery

Drafting a 3 point specialist role player in the mid-lottery is a bust in all but the worst drafts in history.

[RedBulls23]

Would Mike Miller be a bad comparison?

[greenl]

Julius Randle will bust.

Fixed it for you

I really think his motor is too high to "Bust" especially if he is taken in the 8-12 range.

Maybe- I think his rebounding prowess keeps him in the league- I don't see him as a lottery talent- but what do I know? I'm no Miss Cleo.

[nomorezorro]

Drafting a 3 point specialist role player in the mid-lottery is a bust in all but the worst drafts in history.

maybe i'm too soft on kyle but he wouldn't jump out at me as a notable whiff in the 7-11 range

Kirk Hinrich
TJ Ford
Michael Sweetney
Jarvis Hayes
Mickael Pietrus
Luol Deng
Rafael Araujo
Andre Iguodala
Luke Jackson
Andris Biedrins
Channing Frye
Ike Diogu
Andrew Bynum
Fran Vazquez
Randy Foye
Rudy Gay
Patrick O'Bryant
Mouhammed Sene
JJ Redick
Corey Brewer
Brandan Wright
Joakim Noah
Spencer Hawes
Acie Law
Eric Gordon
Joe Alexander
DJ Augustin
Brook Lopez
Jerryd Bayless
Steph Curry
Jordan Hill
Demar DeRozan
Brandon Jennings
Terrence Williams
Greg Monroe
Al-Farouq Aminu
Gordan Hayward
Paul George
Cole Aldrich
Bismack Biyombo
Brandon Knight
Kemba Walker
Jimmer Fredette
Klay Thompson
Harrison Barnes
Terrence Ross
Andre Drummond
Austin Rivers
Meyers Leonard
Ben McLemore
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Trey Burke
CJ McCollum
Michael Carter-Williams

[alucryts]

i dont think kyle korver would be a bust if he was picked in the lottery

Drafting a 3 point specialist role player in the mid-lottery is a bust in all but the worst drafts in history.

I think somewhere around 20 is where a guy like this is going to be decent value if he turns out to be Kyle Korver.

But let's be honest for a moment. Since Derrick Rose was drafted, when was it last when anyone had a solid answer to who the Bulls were looking at before they actually got to draft? Personally, no matter how much I followed the draft over the years, I always end up going "they drafted who??" I'd say the Bulls do a lot of misdirection when it comes to drafting.

[the ultimates]

i dont think kyle korver would be a bust if he was picked in the lottery

Drafting a 3 point specialist role player in the mid-lottery is a bust in all but the worst drafts in history.

Go back and evaluate that 2003 draft class again. Not only would Korver be a definite first rounder he would probably be a late lottery pick.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2003.html

[nomorezorro]

anyway that's almost entirely beside the point. the kyle korver comparisons are obviously really really lazy but i think it's shorthand of saying "'elite three point specialist' is potentially near his realistic floor," which is obviously becoming increasingly more valuable as time goes on. based on how mcbuckets and stauskas have risen, i think you're going to start to see more and more elite shooters with potential secondary skills selected in the mid-to-late lottery going forward. because hey, even if those secondary skills don't develop like you'd hoped you still have a role player who's really good at a really important aspect of the game

and based on where the bulls are roster/contention-window wise i don't think it would be a bad move to take the safer (if assuredly less high-potential) route. if you think there's a pretty vast floor beneath elite three point specialist (even if that includes "good" or even "really good" three point specialist), then obviously you don't take him that high

[bluetiger]

we need to trade Taj in order to go from 12 million in cap room to about 17/20 for Melo. no other player on the roster has that efect (besides rose and noah).

might as well fill his place with Vonleh, Randle or Gordon. One has to be there at 8.

[Shogun12]

There's been speculation for months that the Bulls like McDermott. I believe they've scouted him several times, and he fits a need as a shooter. Nevertheless, there are better players potentially available at #8. Randle, if you trade Gibson, is an absolute no brainer in my opinion. He's ready to contribute right away and would be a better defensive rebounder than Gibson from day one.

If you want a wing, then Gary Harris is a better fit than McDermott. He's far more dynamic in the open floor, is a great defender, and while he doesn't have Doug's shooting range, he is a very capable shooter. He's a bit undersized for an SG, but he's physically strong and has a bulldog mentality. Think of Bradley Beal with slightly worse shooting mechanics, but much better defense.

[Leslie Forman]

Kyle Korver on a contender is probably your 6th-8th best player. If that's what you draft with an 8th pick, it's not a total disaster, but it's not really a good pick, either. It's like a DJ Augustin kind of pick.

Blocking shots or not making steals doesn't mean one is not athletic.

Blocking .1 shots and stealing .3 times per 40 probably does, though. For comparison's sake, Szczerbiak averaged 1.3BPG and 1.4SPG, while Korver averaged .7BPG and 1.9SPG.

So either McDermott is incredibly unathletic, incredibly lazy on defense, or just generally has the worst instincts pretty much ever on that side of the ball. None of those are things Thibs is gonna be a big fan of, I'd say.

I know people are gonna say "that's by design!" but I'm pretty sure a three legged dachsund could get more blocks and steals than that against college competition.

[kyrv]

Kyle Korver on a contender is probably your 6th-8th best player. If that's what you draft with an 8th pick, it's not a total disaster, but it's not really a good pick, either. It's like a DJ Augustin kind of pick.

Blocking shots or not making steals doesn't mean one is not athletic.

Blocking .1 shots and stealing .3 times per 40 probably does, though. For comparison's sake, Szczerbiak averaged 1.3BPG and 1.4SPG, while Korver averaged .7BPG and 1.9SPG.

So either McDermott is incredibly unathletic, incredibly lazy on defense, or just generally has the worst instincts pretty much ever on that side of the ball. None of those are things Thibs is gonna be a big fan of, I'd say.

I know people are gonna say "that's by design!" but I'm pretty sure a three legged dachsund could get more blocks and steals than that against college competition.

Those block and steal numbers (or should we say, lack of) are downright stunning.

[JohnnyKILLroy]

Has anyone watched HOW Doug scores? He would fit into what we do perfectly.

[logical_art]

His stats look very close to Wally Szczerbiak's in college.

I don't think many would complain if we got a guy putting up 18+ ppg on near .600 TS% like WS did in his prime.

[JohnnyKILLroy]

He torched everyone, entire teams geared to stop him and he did it all on elite efficiency without having to have the ball in his hands. That's insane.