The Indiana Pacers are sporting a new look this season after an offseason full of roster moves. Out are Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, and Bojan Bogdanovic. To replace them, the Pacers brought in names like Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, and T.J. Warren.
While there are quite a few new faces on the roster, one that remains the same is Doug McDermott.
A 27-year-old shooter out of Creighton, McDermott is not one of the first names that comes to mind when talking about the Pacers. He had a bench role for the team last season, but was unable to shoot the ball as consistently as some in Indiana were hoping to see. Now, the Pacers are going to rely on him heavily off the bench.
McDermott is making his money with the Pacers due to his ability to shoot the ball from beyond the arc. He has shown the ability to move well without the ball and finish from mid-range as well, but his shooting is what kept his roster spot this season.
All of that being said, McDermott is going to be the team's main X-Factor for the 2019-20 NBA season.
Last season, McDermott ended up averaging 7.3 points per game to go along with 1.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists. He shot 49.1 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 40.8 percent of his three-point attempts. While those numbers may not seem too bad, he had a lot of room for much bigger production.
This season, the Pacers are going to need consistent scoring off of their bench. When looking at the unit, Indiana will be relying on McDermott heavily.
Domantas Sabonis will no longer spearhead the second unit. He will be starting at power forward alongside center Myles Turner. That leaves a major hole from a scoring perspective.
Indiana will have names like Edmond Sumner, Aaron Holiday, Goga Bitadze, and Jeremy Lamb when Victor Oladipo comes back off the bench. In the early stages of the season, Lamb will be starting at the shooting guard position. Even when Lamb is coming off of the bench, the Pacers will need McDermott to score.
Having a legitimate three-point shooting threat that can space the floor, move without the ball, and put the ball on the floor at times is important for every team to have. McDermott may not be an “elite” shooter, but he certainly has the talent and potential to become one.
McDermott may not be receiving a ton of hype, but the Pacers are going to need him. If he comes through with a big season off the bench and shoots the three at around 45 percent, Indiana's bench is going to be lethal. On the other hand, if he struggles, the Pacers may struggle to score the ball with their second unit on the court.
Expect to see McDermott respond well to the bigger role this season. He has always shown the ability to score at a high level and will now be given the consistent minutes and role that he has been searching for.
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