The Bernstein Brief: We Need To Know More On McDermott
By Dan Bernstein-
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) Doug McDermott needs something other than this.
With the Bulls in need of floor spacing absent the injured Mike Dunleavy, the rookie remains glued to Tom Thibodeau's bench, unable to gain valuable experience and/or prove he deserves a chance to crack the rotation.
This is the perfect time of the NBA season to make better use of available minutes to fine-tune the roster for more important action ahead. If McDermott is so bad in practice that he can't be trusted to contribute anything in February, send him to the D-League for seasoning.
We're talking about a lottery pick for whom the Bulls traded up to get -- not just some second-rounder or street free agent -- amid all the lingering discomfort that exists between the coach and the executives who selected him in June. It's worth noting that one of the players for whom he was traded -- Jusuf Nurkic -- is seen as a potential star by the Nuggets, with the 20-year-old's performance already making Timofey Mozgov expendable.
It's possible that McDermott ends up a complete bust, as some are starting to speculate, citing his inability to find clean shots in rhythm or move his feet quickly enough to defend anyone.
But it's far too early to know that, and it would be nice to figure out some way to start to know more.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. Follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.