Dallas Mavericks shooter Doug McDermott is now on his fourth team in two-and-a-half seasons – Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, and now, the Mavs. The Mavs are 26th in scoring and 21st in Basketball-Reference.com's offensive rating. “Dougie McBuckets” and his offensive style should be welcomed with open arms.
His path has been off from what was expected when he came out hot from the NCAA, where he thrived playing under his father as a superstar at Creighton University. He averaged over 24 points in his last three seasons with the Bluejays.
Despite the underwhelming season, his current coach, Rick Carlisle, is a firm believer. With McDermott, a classic scorer, the Mavs coach compared the 26-year-old to Reggie Miller — one of the most consistent and feared shooters ever.
Mavs insider Dwain Price shared the comment through Twitter.
After today's practice, Carlisle compared Doug McDermott's play to Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, who played for Carlisle in Indy. Carlisle: “I think Reggie is a valid comparison. We just got to do everything we can to take advantage of him offensively and protect him on D.”
Carlisle also said the following to Brad Townsend of Sports Day Dallas following his new guy's debut last week:
“I like what he was doing… Offensively, he really is a guy you've got to pay attention to. Moves great off the ball. Really one of the quickest releases on his shot I've seen. There's just a few guys who get rid of it that quick.”
McDermott, obviously, still has ways to go before people can seriously consider comparing him to the Indiana Pacers' Hall-of-Famer. The good news, though, is that he has his coach's trust, and he is with a Mavs team that is actively searching for a spark from anyone.
As they say, shooters will continue to shoot, and that's exactly what he'll do.
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