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Chicago Bulls: Doug McDermott Next Man Up At SF

By Phil Watson

Mar 8, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls small forward Doug McDermott (3) shoots the ball as San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) defends during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls small forward Doug McDermott (3) shoots the ball as San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) defends during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the news that small forward Mike Dunleavy will miss at least two months after undergoing back surgery on Friday, the Chicago Bulls will open training camp already dealing with injury issues after three seasons of doing little else.

Dunleavy, who re-signed with the Bulls for three years and $14.4 million in July, had been experiencing discomfort in his back this summer which had progressively worsened, according to a statement released by the team (via ESPN.com).

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Dunleavy started 63 games last season, missing 19 with a foot/ankle injury, and averaged 9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 29.2 minutes per game on .435/.407/.805 shooting.

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In 32.4 minutes per game in the playoffs, Dunleavy averaged 10.8 points, four rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting .489/.482/.947 in a six-game first-round victory over the Milwaukee Bucks and a six-game loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals.

He initially came to Chicago as a free agent in July 2013 on a two-year, $6.5 million deal.

The 13-year veteran has also played for the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks since being taken third overall from Duke in the 2002 NBA Draft.

He passed the 10,000-point plateau for his career last season.

Dunleavy’€™s injury places the spotlight squarely on second-year man Doug McDermott, the likely candidate to replace Dunleavy in the starting lineup to open the season.

McDermott, acquired from the Denver Nuggets in a draft-night trade in 2014 after being chosen 11th overall by the Denver Nuggets, was slowed by knee surgery last season and played in only 36 games, averaging three points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.9 minutes a night under former coach Tom Thibodeau, who could be slow to trust young players.

McDermott scored in double figures four as a rookie, with two of those coming in his first four games—his debut against the New York Knicks and five nights later against the Orlando Magic.

But after getting 24 minutes in an opening-night blowout of the Knicks, McDermott topped 20 minutes only twice more all season and took the dreaded DNP-Coach’s Decision 18 times as a rookie.

On the surface, it seems McDermott—€”the consensus national player of the year as a senior at Creighton in 2013-14 after averaging almost 27 points per game—€”is more suited to new coach Fred Hoiberg’€™s faster-paced offense.

But for a team that will still emphasize defense, there have to be questions about Dougie McBuckets’€™ ability to defend better than a Chicken McNugget.

McDermott played last season to a minus-12.2 net rating and a 107.6 Defensive Rating that was lower than anyone else in a Chicago uniform last season outside of even more seldom-used backup center Cameron Bairstow.

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    • Opponents shot nearly 52 percent against McDermott last season, according to NBA.com’s player tracking, including almost 69 percent from inside six feet.

    So it appears the only person McDermott scared defensively last season was Thibodeau.

    On the other hand, that’€™s not an uncommon phenomenon for players such as McDermott who are making the transition from scoring star in college to learning the NBA game.

    It’€™s not all that dissimilar to the transition Dunleavy had to make. When he first came into the league, Dunleavy was a minus defender, as well, and managed to become at least serviceable.

    The Bulls will need McDermott to make that transition more quickly now, barring Chicago going out and getting someone else to fill in at the 3 while Dunleavy is on the mend.

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