The first lesson didn’t take long upon Doug McDermott’s arrival to the Pacers. Even Michael Jordan should keep his distance. McDermott is not to be toyed with in golf. “I love to golf in the offseason. It’s a good sport to play. It gives you a different challenge,” said McDermott, who has a 6 handicap.
Doug McDermott Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: F
Born: 01/03/92
Height: 6-8 / 2.03
Weight:223 lbs. / 101.2 kg.
Salary: $7,333,334
Born: 01/03/92
Height: 6-8 / 2.03
Weight:223 lbs. / 101.2 kg.
Salary: $7,333,334
“These guys were just in awe and I wasn’t even hitting that hard. They were calling me Tiger Woods,” McDermott said. “These guys can’t hit it off the tee. I wish we could get a full year weather of golf here.”
“In college, I’ll admit it, I was the man. I was the 4 man. I was trailing every play, posting up,” Doug McDermott said. “I can’t remember the last time I posted up in the NBA. I probably scored 15 points a game in college on the block. In the NBA I’ve become more of a shooter. It’s a transition. There’s great players on every team now. I’ve found my niche, trying to be a Korver.”
In training camp, McDermott made the extra pass rather than taking the open 3. He heard from McMillan immediately. “What do you think I want you to do there?” McMillan said. It was a rhetorical question, of course. “Coach McMillan really stressed to us to shoot those 3s and avoid mid-to-long 2s,” McDermott said. “If we’re open, he wants us to shoot it.”
It wasn’t the type of open-gym session that is popular throughout the NBA, where players come and go at their leisure and mix with players from other teams. … This was different. “That was the first time I’ve been part of something like that as a team in the NBA,” said Doug McDermott, the four-year veteran who signed a three-year deal with the Pacers earlier in the summer. “I thought it was great what Vic did. We did something every night to jell as a team.”
MM: You mentioned McDermott earlier. He’s the one new guy people seem to be questioning. You gave him a good contract, you committed to him. People say he’s a poor defender, that he’s just a 3-point shooter. What do you see in him that perhaps other people do not? Kevin Pritchard: “It’s interesting because any time you look at a player … when we did the trade of Paul (George) for Victor and Sabonis, the level of their production value wasn’t equal. Paul was (better). But sometimes you say, “Can we help him maximize what his talent level is?” That’s what we did with Victor and I think we’re doing it with Domas. For me, McDermott can be an elite player away from the ball with his movement and cutting. He’s got that old school Jim Paxson kind of game, where’s he constantly moving. That’s an offense unto itself. In my mind, I picture him moving and occupying defenders’ minds, and then you’ve got a two-man game of Tyreke and Domas on one side and Doug coming off screens. You have to dial into that. If you’re not dialed into Doug, he’s going to shoot and we want him to shoot a lot. He shot 48 percent from three with Dallas late in the season.”
David Aldridge: Indy’s had a productive offseason, to be sure — Evans was a great pickup, and Kyle O’Quinn might be even better for the cost outlay. (I hope McDermott can stick; I still think there’s a good player in there.) Definitely agree that a top three finish is possible; the Pacers can score, will have quality depth and are well coached.
