Sacramento Kings: Players the Kings Could Draft
The 8th Pick, Prospect #2
Mar 21, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Creighton Bluejays forward Doug McDermott (3) shoots over Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns guard Steven Wronkoski (4) in the second half of a men
It’s entirely possible that in addition to Randle and Vonleh, that Gordon could be gone as well by the time the Kings are on the clock. Or if Gordon is available but the scouting department isn’t a fan of his game or the fit, the Kings could look to add the best player available or they could possibly go with another power forward or stretch 4.
Doug McDermott is a player who could kill both those birds with one stone.
In short, McDermott gets buckets. The longer explanation, however, is that McDermott is more than just a spot-up shooter. He is an extremely versatile scorer who put points up on the board in every which way. At Creighton, McDermott carried the scoring responsibilities of the team ,and every opponent was well aware of who they had to stop but most still had trouble doing it.
Watch a quick highlight tape and you will see McDermott score with a catch and shoot, off the dribble, going left or going right. You will see him knock down a jump shot 2 feet behind the arc and then the next series down you will see him knock down a face-up shot from the block. Aside from his elite 3-point ability, McDermott’s best weapon in the pros will be his fadeaway. This shot will be critically important for McDermott, because it’s arguably the shot he will need the most if he is going to have any luck as a stretch 4.
His offensive game is an obvious plus, but McDermott does have defensive liabilities. While he is physically not too far off from Gordon (Doug is 6’7” 218 lbs.), McDermott spent most of his time outside of the paint, so he doesn’t have the same post strength that Gordon currently has. In time and with the help of an NBA strength & conditioning program, this is something that can improve. Still, even with some strength improvements, McDermott will get pushed around in the post by bigger defenders. Because of this, McDermott would be best suited guarding big men who play primarily outside of the paint.
One last note on McDermott’s game is his rebounding ability and athleticism. Considering he took most of the shots on his team (and usually outside of the paint), McDermott pulled down an impressive seven-plus rebounds per game over the course of his career. He also recorded a very good vertical leap at the combine of 36.5” so combine that with his high activity level, his rebounding ability should translate well.
A lot of comparisons get thrown around for McDermott, ranging from Wally Sczerbiak and Kevin Love to James Jones and many others. I liken his game quite a bit to Antawn Jamison in his younger days. Jamison wasn’t the prolific scorer that McDermott is now when he was coming out of college, but Jamison has gone on to average 19+ points per game in 10 different seasons. Jamison never was the greatest athlete or the best defender on the court but he held his own with effort and activity, and his rebounding followed suit.
In a perfect world, McDermott would go to a team where he can play small forward and have quality players around him to help with his transition to the league, but it only takes one team to fall in love with a player and to make a pick. Because of his offensive upside, it’s hard to see McDermott falling outside of the top 10. With an owner that seems to be not afraid of making a splash, McDermott makes a lot of sense for the Kings.