Will McDermott's defense hurt his NBA draft stock?

Over the next few months McDermott will be among the most polarizing prospects in draft meetings. The results of his combine drills will be dissected and tape of McDermott defending more athletic players will be studied closely. McDermott will be on an NBA roster next season. It remains to be seen what the expectations are going to be for him when he gets there.

Chris Mannix is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated covering the NBA and boxing beats. He joined the SI staff in 2003 following his graduation from Boston College. Mannix is the host of SI’s “Open Floor” podcast and serves as a ringside analyst and reporter for DAZN Boxing. He is also a frequent contributor to NBC Sports Boston as an NBA analyst. A nominee for National Sportswriter of the Year in 2022, Mannix has won writing awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Pro Basketball Writers Association, and is a longtime member of both organizations.