Pacers veteran Doug McDermott upgraded to questionable after missing 10 games
INDIANAPOLIS -- Pacers veteran wing Doug McDermott has been upgraded to questionable on the NBA injury report for Indiana's game against the Pistons in Detroit on Wednesday after missing the last 10 games with a strained right calf. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle in his pre-game press conference said he's hopeful McDermott will be available.
"He's coming along well," Carlisle said. "Our hope is yes, that he'll be able to play."
McDermott has played just six game with the Pacers this season after he was acquired at the trade deadline on Feb. 8 from the Spurs in the three-way deal that sent guard Buddy Hield to the 76ers. In those six games McDermott scored a total of 19 points on 7 of 24 shooting, including 4 of 20 from 3-point range.
However, McDermott is a career 41.0% 3-point shooter with 926 career 3-pointers over 10 NBA seasons, including three previous seasons with the Pacers from 2018-21. The Pacers could use any help they can get in the outside shooting department. They are shooting just 33.0% from 3-point range since the All-Star break, which puts them 29th in the NBA, and making just 11.1 3-pointers per game, which is the league's lowest mark in that period. The season-ending injury to wing Bennedict Mathurin means there are minutes to be had off the bench at small forward, so McDermott could slide easily into that role if he can make some shots.
"Running, movement, shooting, play-making," Carlisle said when asked what McDermott could bring. "System defender. Rebounding. Those are things that we're asking of everybody, but he brings an element that's unique to our team."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers' Doug McDermott upgraded to questionable after missing 10 games
