Mavs view Doug McDermott as an untapped NBA commodity - Dallas News (blog)

By Brad Townsend , Staff Writer Contact Brad Townsendon Twitter:

Chances are better than good that almost everyone outside of Dallas who bothered to take interest in Dallas' highly entertaining 130-123 victory over Los Angeles on Saturday night was focused on new Laker Isaiah Thomas.

Inside American Airlines Center, though, it was all about Doug McDermott, a.k.a. Dougie McBuckets. And Julius Randle, a.k.a. the Dallas-native Laker who either loves performing in his hometown or is hell-bent on becoming a Maverick.

Mavericks trade-deadline acquisition McDermott and power-forward Randle will be restricted free agents this summer.

Based on Randle's 26-point, 8-rebound, 7-assist assault on Dallas' interior defense Saturday - coupled with his 23-point, 15-rebound performance at AAC on Jan. 13, it's not hard to deduce which free-agent audition most impressed Mavericks fans.

"I don't care where it is," said Randle, when asked about his big games here. "I'm just going to try to bring it every night, just be as consistent as possible."

McDermott finished with 8 points and 3 rebounds in 21 minutes - remarkably close to his 238-game NBA career averages of 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 20.4 minutes.

"I've always liked Dallas as a city, coming here through the years," said 6-foot- 8, 225-pound McDermott, 26. "Just the way they play I feel like really fits: Shoot a lot of 3s, really high tempo. I think it will fit me well."

Mavericks fans who mostly know McDermott as the Creighton scoring machine who in 2013-14 led the nation in scoring average (26.7) and finished his college career with the fifth-most points (3,150) in Division I history might be disappointed in his output during Dallas' final 27 games this season.

The Mavericks franchise, however, views McDermott as somewhat of an untapped NBA commodity, given that he played almost exclusively power forward in college and predominately has played small forward during three previous NBA stops.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said he wants to see how McDermott fares with significant power forward minutes, though he only played small forward on Saturday. He has yet to have a Mavericks practice, though he ran through some plays with teammates Saturday afternoon.

"I like what he was doing," said Carlisle said. "Offensively, he really is a guy you've got to pay attention to. Moves great off the ball. Really one of the quickest releases on his shot I've seen. There's just a few guys who get rid of it that quick.

"I think he's just a good mix with the guys that we have here."

McDermott was a high school teammate of Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes at Iowa's Ames High School, leading the Little Cyclones to back-to- back 4A state championships and a 53-0 record from 2008-2010.

McDermott said he was in a Toronto hotel room when Knicks general manager Scott Perry phoned to tell him he had been traded to Dallas. Soon after, he got a welcome-to- Dallas text from Barnes.

"It's crazy that we're back together," McDermott said. "I guess it's fate.

"We had a lot of success in high school. I know this is a different level, but we hope to achieve that again."

If McDermott impresses here, the Mavericks can keep him by signing him to a new contract or matching any other offer he gets this summer.

The Lakers will the same ability to keep Randle, but if Los Angeles is able to woo LeBron James and perhaps another star free-agent, the Lakers might have to jettison salary - much as Golden State did when it landed Kevin Durant, allowing Dallas to nab Barnes.

Other than getting viciously dunked on by Maxi Kleber with 1:19 left, which gave Dallas a 125-121 lead, Randle got a taste of home comforts Saturday.

His mother, wife and young son sat courtside. And before the game, on the way to the court, a smiling Randle posed for photos with friends from his Prestonwood Christian days. Further down the corridor, Mavericks president Donnie Nelson smiled and shouted.

"There he is! Hometown hero!"

It clearly was innocent banter, far from crossing the line of tampering. Besides, Nelson was just stating a fact.

Nearing 31K: Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 22 points Saturday, eclipsing his previous high of 21 against Portland on Jan. 20.

Nowitzki also moved to within 49 points of 31,000 for his career - and got a rare dunk off a feed from Kyle Collinsworth. Nowitzki bypassed a dunk opportunity earlier in the game.

"When Kyle made that drive and dished it to me, I said, 'Now or never,' " Nowitzki said. "I went up there and flushed it. Felt good, felt good, gotta say."

McRoberts waived: As expected, the Mavericks waived forward Josh McRoberts, who appeared in only two games this season while rehabbing a left-foot injury.

The move opened a spot on Dallas' roster.

"We have our eyes open," Carlisle said. "There's a significant amount of change in rosters, post-trade deadline." 

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