Doug McDermott’s first ten games of the season were defined by empty minutes and a frustrating inability to find a rhythm off the bench. When given an extended look during the 01/03 vs PHX matchup, he looked completely out of sorts. He clanked his way to a brutal 1-for-5 shooting night from deep, dragging his impact score down to -13.7. Poor shot selection and an inability to pressure the rim meant that when his jumper wasn't falling, he became an outright liability. His lone bright spot arrived on 12/27 vs DAL, where he hit three triples to scrape out a mildly positive +0.3 impact score. Even with just nine points in that contest, his willingness to grab three rebounds and provide reliable floor spacing kept the offense humming. Unfortunately, that brief flash of utility quickly faded into more invisible outings. He bottomed out entirely on 02/07 vs CLE, logging eight scoreless minutes to earn a dismal -15.7 impact mark because he simply floated on the perimeter without generating any defensive stops.

Doug McDermott’s mid-season stretch was a harsh reminder of the razor-thin margin for error when a player's entire on-court existence revolves around catch-and-shoot threes. When the jumper was pure, as it was on 02/11 vs UTA, he looked exactly like the spacing weapon his team needed. He poured in 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from deep in just 19 minutes that night, earning a +6.8 Impact by punishing late rotations and stretching the floor. But when the perimeter touch vanished, his value completely cratered. Look no further than his disastrous brief appearance on 03/05 vs NOP, where he missed both of his shots and posted a staggering -15.3 Impact in merely four minutes of action. Heavy minutes couldn't hide his flaws, either. During a 29-minute stint on 03/15 vs UTA, he managed 9 points but dragged the lineup down with a -7.7 Impact. Because he offered almost zero resistance on the defensive end and grabbed just three rebounds, the hidden costs of his one-dimensional game vastly outweighed his mediocre 3-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc.