Doug McDermott Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Rumors: Wiggins, Parker, Smart

March 24th, 2014 at 5:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned Ohio State small forward LaQuinton Ross is on the fence about entering the draft. While he’s not one of the top talents available this June, Ross was ranked No. 32 by ESPN’s Chad Ford and that’s no small feat given the depth of this year’s class. Here’s the latest draft news..

Projected lottery picks Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Doug McDermott some of their worst during NCAA tournament action the past few days. Still, their performances haven’t discouraged NBA team executives, who tell Chris Mannix of SI.com that this weekend’s results will do little to alter their draft stocks (Twitter link).
In today’s column, David Aldridge of NBA.com looks at the shallow pool of point guards in the 2014 draft. While there’s a significant drop-off after Australian prospect Dante Exum, Oklahoma State sophomore Marcus Smart, and Syracuse freshman Tyler Ennis, Aldridge rightfully notes that it’s not a huge problem for most NBA teams. The classic, pass-first floor general is nearly extinct thanks to rule changes over the years.
NBA scouts told Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post that they regarded 6’6″ Colorado point guard Spencer Dinwiddie a late first-round pick, at least, before he tore his ACL in January. Concerns about his recovery and the absence of a chance to take part in predraft workouts will make it easy for Dinwiddie to decide against entering this year’s draft, Dempsey believes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Draft Notes: Minimum Age, Smith, McDermott

March 6th, 2014 at 8:35pm CST by Charlie Adams

Mark Cuban thinks the NBA would be wise to raise the minimum age for NBA players, but Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW opines it would be hard to justify to NCAA athletes that they need to wait to make their millions while athletes in other sports like golf can enter the pro circuit upon turning 18. Here’s the latest on a pair of senior prospects who have waited four years to enter the NBA draft by choice, not by rule:

Russ Smith’s draft stock is rising, but he still has a long way to go, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. One Western Conference executive is wary of Smith because he doesn’t think Smith is the type of guard who makes his teammates better.
Another executive told Mannix that any comparisons of Smith to Nate Robinson are inaccurate since Robinson is much more athletic. “The guys that are small combo guards that make it work… are few and far between,” said the executive. “It takes a really special guy to be a small spark plug off the bench, and I don’t see it in [Smith].“
Creighton’s Doug McDermott is another player with a rising draft stock. The 6’8″ forward is one of the most efficient college scorers in recent memory, but his questionable defense is leaving some executives unsure about his potential to succeed at the next level. Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com have the details in the latest Insider piece,
Pelton and Ford see the Grizzlies as the best landing spot for McDermott. They suggest that should Zach Randolph leave, the defensive-minded duo of Marc Gasol and Kosta Koufos would be able to lock down the paint on defense while McDermott stretches the floor with his shooting. Pelton notes the Magic had a similar setup in Orlando with Ryan Anderson and Dwight Howard.

Odds & Ends: Duncan, Oden, Wizards

February 19th, 2014 at 7:54am CST by Chuck Myron

ESPN analyst and former coach George Karl hears that Tim Duncan is thinking of retiring at season’s end, notes Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News, but Duncan isn’t sure how Karl got that impression. The Big Fundamental says he’s undecided, as he tells reporters, including Express-News scribe Mike Monroe (Twitter link). Fellow Express-News writer Jeff McDonald would be “shocked” if Duncan retired. The sense around the Spurs is that Duncan will keep playing as long as he feels he’s useful, McDonald says, pointing out that the big man is still under contract for next year (Twitter links). Here’s more from the Association:

Greg Oden considered a handful of teams last summer, but it came down to a decision between the Mavs and the Heat, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Most reports have suggested the Wizards are looking for a backup point guard, but Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times hears they’re seeking a backup who can play both guard positions, suggesting Luke Ridnour as a possibility (Twitter link).
A veteran scout tells Woelfel that he has Creighton forward Doug McDermott No. 6 on his draft board, and Chris Mannix of SI.com examines a polarizing prospect who’s sparked a wide range of opinions in NBA front offices.
The Cavs had discussions with the Lakers about acquiring Chris Kaman, but those talks are no longer active, notes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Free agent Malcolm Lee hasn’t played since December 2012 because of injury, but he’s about two weeks away from being ready to suit up for a team, USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets.
The Warriors on Tuesday recalled Ognjen Kuzmic from the D-League, the team announced. Kuzmic’s latest stint in Santa Cruz lasted one day.
Some members of the actors union are upset that executive director David White is a candidate for the same position with the National Basketball Players Association, observes Dave McNary of Variety.com.
Lionel Hollins explains the root of his raw feelings from the end of his tenure as Grizzlies coach to Mearl Purvis of WHBQ-TV in Memphis.

Draft Updates: McDermott, Jean-Charles

April 25th, 2013 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Doug McDermott has elected to return to Creighton for his senior season, forgoing the 2013 NBA draft, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. McDemott had been weighing his options for weeks, but ultimately decided not to let the perception that 2013's class is weak affect his decision.

"If I'm going to play in the NBA, I'm going to play this year or next year," McDermott said. "I'm not buying into the fact that I had to go this year because the draft was considered weaker. [Kyle Korver] told me that I'm going to have to beat out guys whether I'm a first-rounder or I wind up going in the second round."

McDermott had been ranked 39th on Jonathan Givony's big board at DraftExpress.com and 50th on Chad Ford's at ESPN.com.

Meanwhile, a prospect that ranks slightly ahead of McDermott on both boards (35th and 47th respectively) has officially entered the 2013 draft. Agent Pedja Materic announced (via Twitter) that French Guyana native Livio Jean-Charles will go pro.

Jean-Charles recently turned heads at the Nike Hoop Summit, scoring 27 points and grabbing 13 boards in the World team's victory over the U.S. The 19-year-old power forward was named MVP of the game.

Draft Notes: Early Entrants, McDermott, Pressey

April 10th, 2013 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NCAA's early entry withdrawal deadline less than a week away, at least two more underclassmen are putting their names into this year's draft class today. Missouri junior Phil Pressey has declared his intent, while Indiana sophomore Cody Zeller will do the same later this afternoon at a press conference. As we wait to see what other early entrants will enter the mix for the 2013 draft, here are a few of the latest draft-related links:

A number of NBA GMs believe that the NCAA's conference shake-ups, and the "changing caliber of competition" at the college level will influence players' decisions to declare early, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
Creighton's Doug McDermott will likely wait until the NBA's early-entry deadline (April 28th), rather than the NCAA's withdrawal deadline (April 16th), to make a decision on the draft, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). As Goodman notes (via Twitter) and as others have pointed out, there's little upside for a player to officially declare his intent before the NBA's deadline, since it limits his options.
Goodman adds in a separate tweet that he believes Missouri's Pressey made a "poor decision" to go pro after his junior year.
With the NCAA Tournament now in the rear-view mirror, NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper updates his mock draft, though there aren't many changes at the top of his board.