On the night of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls made a move that had their fans raving. Instead of taking a couple of mid first-round picks that may never pan out, they made a deal with the Denver Nuggets, who initially took a top-10 talent with the No. 11 overall pick.

That night, Chicago traded 16th overall pick Jusuf Nurkic and 19th overall pick Gary Harris for the National Player of the Year, small forward Doug McDermott out of Creighton. 

In his rookie year, McDermott rarely played. When he did, he looked lost and unprepared for the NBA level. At the same time, former head coach Tom Thibodeau never liked to play his rookies — take that into consideration.

Fast forward to a brand new season ahead, with brand new head coach Fred Hoiberg. A man who understood the ability to shoot and score himself, Hoiberg will surely find a place for McDermott; and, after his Summer League performance, that place might wind up securing quite a substantial amount of minutes for the second-year pro.

Through five games, McDermott is ninth overall in scoring during his stint in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 18.8 points per game to go along with 4.4 rebounds. Those 18.8 points per game come by way of 48.8 percent shooting from the field — not too shabby, right? It gets much, much better.

Remember throughout his college career, McDermott could fill it up from beyond the arc? Here’s the scary part: He is just 2-for-16 from three point range in his five Summer League games. That means that from anywhere inside the arc, he is shooting a blistering 57 percent at 39-for-68 from the field.

What happens when — not if — McDermott figures out the long ball? The kid will be an unstoppable scorer. His 6-foot-8 frame makes him an ideal size at the small forward position, giving him an advantage over some of the other smaller guys at that spot. He knows how to get to the hoop and finish and has proven to do so. Now, it’s about getting more comfortable from where he lit it up in college: the three point line.

The Bulls sure knew what they were doing when they traded — who were they again? Never mind who they were, Chicago traded a couple of prospects for what will end up being a sure thing in McDermott. Behind Hoiberg’s coaching and his system, McDermott should flourish. McDermott has already told Summer League reporters that he is enjoying this new system and that it gives him a lot of freedom at his position.

Fans should be ecstatic about his potential when the regular season rolls around, and he and his teammates have perfected their new playbook. As for now, let’s enjoy the rest of his Summer League play as he has become the true leader of that roster.

Ryan Heckman is a writer for www.RantSports.com covering the NBA and NFL. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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