Inside The Spurs

San Antonio Spurs' Doug McDermott Recalls Shocking Gregg Popovich Meeting

Despite his shooting prowess, former San Antonio Spurs veteran Doug McDermott left a lot to be desired on the defensive side.
Jonah Kubicek|
Dec 28, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Doug McDermott (17) dribbles the ball against the Portland trail Blazers
Dec 28, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Doug McDermott (17) dribbles the ball against the Portland trail Blazers | Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

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Doug McDermott is one of the greatest shooters of all time, both at the college level and in the pros. Finishing up his tenth season, he has shot 41 percent from deep over his career and shot 42.2 percent from deep over his two-and-a-half seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.

He is seventh all-time on the NCAA men's scoring leaderboard, having scored 3,150 points in four seasons with the Creighton Bluejays. At one point, he was fourth all-time.

Oct 9, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Doug McDermott (17) with the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Oct 9, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Doug McDermott (17) with the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder. | Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

Despite his prolific three-point shot and underrated ability to get the the rim, "Dougie McBuckets" lacked sorely on the defensive end. His defense was so bad, that Gregg Popovich called him the worst defender he has ever coached.

On an appearance on the Ryen Russillo Podcast, McDermott recounted an exchange with the legendary NBA coach. "He's like, I don't need to talk to you," remembers McDermott. "You might be one of the worst defenders I've ever coached, but you can really shoot that thing. I'll see you next September."

Jeremy Sochan responded to the quote, clearly amused by the chirping from his current coach.

During his two full seasons with the Spurs, McDermott had the best three-point percentage among players who were in San Antonio for the entire season in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. However, among players with the same criteria, his defensive win shares were the lowest on the roster.

Despite his defensive shortcomings, McDermott has made nearly $60 million in NBA earnings, so clearly he has value in the league. While he might not be in contention for DPOTY at any point, his shooting prowess speaks for itself.

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Jonah Kubicek
JONAH KUBICEK

Jonah Kubicek has been writing about the NBA since 2021, covering the Pistons, Jazz, Spurs, Magic, Rockets, and Knicks. As a lifelong Spurs fan living in Michigan, he never misses an opportunity to bring up the 2005 NBA Finals (you should have guarded Horry!). He is a long-suffering Tigers fan and closely follows the NFL, although he never found an affinity for the Lions. Jonah graduated from Oakland University with a degree in History and spends his spare time playing tennis or reading. Follow Jonah on Twitter for updates on Tre Jones and other NBA news.

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