Dec. 18--Give longtime equipment manager John Ligmanowski an assist for Doug McDermott's fantastic finish in Wednesday night's victory over the Grizzlies.
McDermott blew out one of his shoes as he played the entire quarter -- on a defensive close-out no less -- and didn't miss a minute thanks to some quick work from Ligmanowski during a timeout.
"I owe him," McDermott said with a smile.
The second-year sharpshooter, who admitted he was so surprised to play the entire quarter that he kept asking substitutes if they were coming in for him, has been doing a lot of that lately.
One year ago, he was rehabilitating his right knee after meniscus surgery Dec. 13, 2014, the first injury of his entire career. It basically turned his rookie season into a redshirt campaign. Now, he's running with the big boys, playing alongside Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler as a floor spacer in an effective closing lineup that also featured Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah on Wednesday.
Eight of McDermott's 17 points and two of his four 3-pointers came in the final period.
"Night and day difference," McDermott said. "Last year, I didn't really know what to expect. I was a rookie who really didn't know much. To have a year under my belt, learning from guys, has been huge. I feel like a completely different player."
He looks like one too. Beyond some improvement at the defensive end, McDermott has scored in double figures three straight games and six of eight. His 3-point percentage of .446 ranked eighth after Wednesday's action.
"Fred runs stuff for me," McDermott said of coach Fred Hoiberg, his fellow Ames (Iowa) High graduate. "He gives me that confidence. And when you have Derrick and Jimmy out there, I know I'll get shots because they draw so much attention. That's the most open I've been all year because they were penetrating and getting to the rim."
McDermott has talked before about his loss of confidence during a disappointing rookie season after the Bulls' aggressive draft-day acquisition of him. But he made some startling admissions in a new interview.
"Last year sometimes I was kind of scared. I didn't really know what I was doing out there," he said. "Guys were so much more athletic.
"I got my shot blocked a lot last year. Just being new, against guys who are 10 years older than you, you're kind of star struck in some ways too. Those are guys you grew up idolizing and now you're on the same floor with them. I finally put that behind me and it's normal out there."
Hoiberg downplayed his role in any restoration process with McDermott, saying it's merely about players getting reps. That McDermott has averaged 14 points in his last three games after going scoreless four games ago speaks to his new mindset.
"You can't get too down on yourself if you have a rough game because there's another one coming," McDermott said. "That has been my biggest improvement, kind of maturing mentally."
kcjohnson@tribpub.com
