First, this happened:
Geoffrey Clark
"@WojYahooNBA: Denver will select Doug McDermott with the No. 11 pick, league source tells Yahoo Sports." Fuuuuuuuuuuu-
"@sam_amick: I'm told Doug McDermott will head to Chicago via trade with Denver. Getting more details now." Please be true.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WELCOME TO CHICAGO, DOUG!
The Creighton product will carry the most expectations and excitement from a Bulls draft pick since Derrick Rose. Although he doesn't have quite the same hype Rose did in 2008, the National Player of the Year left college after four years as the fifth-highest scorer in Division I history (3,150 points). That gives him some weight and addresses a big need for a team whose offense was nowhere close to their excellent defense last season. I doubt Gar Forman read any of my posts calling for McDermott in a Bulls uniform, but he answered my prayer and showed he's willing to put his team in a great position to win on both ends of the floor.
Everyone knows McDermott can shoot the ball really well. You name it, he can do it, and that opens up a chance to deal Mike Dunleavy. He's a good hustler and uses his high basketball IQ to the fullest degree. Scouts aren't sure if his size will translate well in the NBA and he's not the most athletic player around. There are also concerns about his defense and normally, this would have been a reason for Tom Thibodeau to want Forman to look elsewhere. However, he's expressed confidence that McDermott can improve in that area and besides, he finally seems to realize you get nowhere in this league if you don't have anyone available who can score. That hasn't entirely been his fault with Rose's injuries, but eventually, you have to look elsewhere.
Tony Snell got regular playing time as a rookie last season after Marquis Teague and Jimmy Butler barely saw the floor during their first years. McDermott should get even more minutes than Snell did because he's built to last longer. Depending on how the Bulls fare in free agency, he's likely to be a productive bench player as the primary shooter from that group. He'll have plenty of opportunities to show what he can do, unlike Jimmer Fredette or Brian Scalabrine of recent seasons. To be fair, he's likely better than those two combined, so for the team's sake, he should hope he can live up to the billing as the best rookie in the Thibodeau era.
Lost in the McDermott hoopla is that the Bulls did have a second-round pick. His name is Cameron Bairstow, a 6-10 power forward who played with Snell at New Mexico and, like Luc Longley before him, came from Australia to attend that school. He figures to be the rookie who plays in garbage time in blowouts, which is the norm for second-tier rookies under Thibodeau especially. Hopefully however, he'll pan out better than Erik Murphy a year ago.
Bairstow, who will turn 24 in December, is a mid-range shooter who can hustle well. He's a good post player and can fight for rebounds. All-around, he improved greatly between his junior and senior seasons, which put him on scouts' radars. They have questions as to how he can work for the more athletic NBA players and a lot of his game remains to be developed. He'll have a lot to prove and if Thibodeau likes what he sees, maybe he'll give the Aussie a chance to make a real difference.
Now that the draft is over, the real fun begins. Selecting McDermott should make the Bulls more marketable for Carmelo Anthony and others who may want to join a team that's one major piece away from contending for a title. The organization does not believe Rose's recent history will be a factor in what ultimately happens. Maybe not, but what factors will ultimately determine who ends up where for the next few years? The Bulls are hoping at least one of them works in their favor. Buckle up, fans. This roller coaster is going to be interesting.
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