This is a new feature that we will do weekly at Sixerdelphia, so I was tasked with deciding where to begin. I could start with Andrew Wiggins, as this is the team that many point to as starting the “Winless for Wiggins” campaign, but being a freshmen and one that we should take some more time evaluating. For one, he is very young and still developing into his body. Also, he likely will be playing in some bigger games down the stretch and in the tournament, so frankly it may be a little premature for me to sit here in mid-January and offer an evaluation. Stay tuned.
For now, let’s start with a guy who just played on the Sixers’ home court this week, Doug McDermott. Frankly, he’s the opposite of Wiggins in that he’s easier to project at this point.
A 6’8” forward, McDermott has established himself as one of the best players in the nation over the last few seasons. At Creighton, he has averaged 23 points over the last three seasons and clearly has an ability to score.
From there, the rest gets dicey compared to other NBA prospects compared to his body. I observed McDermott play at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday night and there were several scouts in attendance. As a collegiate player, McDermott has been playing as a four or a big man. He stands at 225 pounds, which he can get away with but is a red flag for playing that position in the NBA. Being that slim, he will not match up well against a power forward like Tim Duncan who has nearly 30 pounds on him, so problems could arise.
In speaking to some of the scouts, it seemed that his NBA position is not entirely decided. The consensus was that he can be a three and be a wing player, as a scout from the Utah Jazz assured me that he had, not necessarily the speed, but the quickness to hold his own there. It was interesting to hear this from that particular organization, as they are the same team that drafted Gordon Heyward, a similar player who has found success in the professional level.
There is reason to like McDermott to blossom into that type of player. He can hurt a team a few ways, but has his share of limitations.
One way he can be effective is on the perimeter. He would find his most success as a catch-and-shoot type, as he cannot create his own shot. But, back to his quickness, he can get open enough to be in position to take good-looking shots, and has the stroke to consistently hit them.
On the flip side, though, are limitations to his game. He thrived as a post player in college as well, another way he was effective, but it is likely that would not happen in the pro game. While he will not dominate and be a mismatch inside with his unique set, he does a very good job of positioning himself for rebounds and moves inside. In this regard, there is hope that he will not be totally lost and struggle inside. That’s the benefit of being a pedigree player, being the son of a coach.
The verdict: It’s pretty likely the Sixers will be drafting early in the first round—probably even twice. That would simply be way too high for McDermott. It would be interesting to see if his stock falls and whether he can slip until the second round. But you will hear many college fans toss his name out as a great player, but that does not mean he will translate into a great pro player.
