What's driving Bulls McDermott's hot streak?
One explanation for Doug McDermott's recent scoring surge connects to March Madness.
This is the best time of the year for a college basketball star, so it makes sense one of the best college scorers of his era would come alive in March.
One, problem, though: McDermott never dominated the NCAA Tournament. He played OK, averaging 21.5 points and shooting 45 percent from the field in six career games.
But Creighton never got past the second round in three NCAA appearances. McDermott's all-time tournament record is 3-3.
Maybe McDermott is playing well because the time is right. After injuries spoiled his rookie season, he's finally starting to figure out how to utilize his impressive scoring skills in the NBA.
"I just feel real comfortable out there," McDermott said after Thursday's win over Brooklyn. "I got it going early, which always helps. So I just have to build off that. They are finding me early in games and I am getting clear looks. It's just really good for my confidence and allows me to maintain it the entire game."
McDermott is in the best stretch of his brief pro career. He's been the Bulls' leading scorer in the last three games.
Over those three games, McDermott's shooting touch has been sizzling. While averaging 24.7 points in the last three, his shooting percentages are .622 from the field overall, .632 from 3-point range and .941 at the foul line.
In some ways, this surge has been sudden. During his first 99 games in the NBA, McDermott had two 20-point games and now he's had three in a row.
But it's not like we didn't see this coming. There's no doubt McDermott has the skills to be a big-time scorer. He ranks sixth in the league in 3-point percentage at .429, so that's been good all year. He also good at shooting floaters on the run, has a quick release from anywhere on the court and has plenty of athleticism.
The recent success is probably a combination of McDermott feeling more confident and the Bulls realizing the payoff to getting him the ball frequently.
"Just the belief that the coaches and guys on the team have in me and putting me in the right spots," McDermott said when asked why he's playing well lately. "They all just make me feel a lot more comfortable."
Having McDermott hit his stride as a scorer obviously bodes well for the Bulls' future, but they'll need to figure out his role this summer.
Should he join the starting lineup and become a fixture at small forward? Should he come off the bench and continue using veteran Mike Dunleavy as a mentor? Or maybe the Bulls should move on from Dunleavy and try to find another athletic wing player who could give Jimmy Butler a break on defense. Then either McDermott or the new wing player would become the sixth man.
It will be an interesting summer for the Bulls, no doubt. At the moment, it's tough to see them moving on from Butler or Derrick Rose in the backcourt.
On the interior, would they risk giving up on Taj Gibson, who consistently has played through injuries and given the Bulls toughness near the basket? Pau Gasol is 35, but still putting up better numbers than most NBA big men. Joakim Noah has dealt with injuries the past two years, but there's no doubt the Bulls defense suffered when he was lost to a shoulder injury.
There are tough decisions to be made, but McDermott will make those calls easier if he keeps shooting like this.
Injury update:
The Bulls have declared both Pau Gasol and E'Twaun Moore out for Saturday's game against Utah. Gasol will miss his fourth game with a sore right knee, while Moore injured his hamstring in the first quarter of Wednesday's win over Brooklyn.
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Bulls scouting report
Bulls vs. Utah Jazz at the United Center, 7 p.m. Saturday
TV: WGN
Radio: ESPN 1000-AM
Outlook: The Bulls dropped a tough one at Utah on Feb. 1, losing 105-96 in overtime despite taking a 3-point lead on Derrick Rose's 3-pointer with 18.5 seconds left in regulation. Jazz SF Gordon Hayward had 27 points in that one, but he's sat out Utah's last two games due to plantar fasciitis and is questionable for this one. Even without Hayward, the Jazz (33-35) has won four in a row with former Hawks SG Shelvin Mack averaging 18.3 points and 8 assists. After Hayward, PF Derrick Favors (16.9 ppg) and SG Rodney Hood (14.6) are the top scorers. This is the second of four straight home games for the Bulls.
Next: Sacramento Kings at the United Center on Monday, 7 p.m.
- Mike McGraw