Fred Hoiberg doesn’t criticize players publicly by name very often.
But the Bulls coach took matters to another level late Wednesday night when asked if Doug McDermott’s defensive issues might ultimately cost him a rotation spot.
Hoiberg offered an 182-word answer in which he failed to reference McDermott once.
Asked a follow-up question on McDermott, Hoiberg again danced around the topic.
"We’re going to get back to work (Thursday) and keep working," Hoiberg said.
Asked a third time about McDermott’s current confidence level, Hoiberg finally engaged.
"That’s always a concern with anybody as far as shooting when you’re struggling," Hoiberg said. "We just have to do the best job we can to try to pump him up and try to get him out of the shooting slump."
On a night the Bulls were down Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, McDermott failed to score in the first half and finished with six points on 2-for-6 shooting with three fouls. He repeatedly got beat defensively.
The Bulls need more from their 2014 lottery pick, and McDermott knows it.
"I just have to keep shooting," he said.
The Bulls also need to do a better job of getting McDermott shots, and Hoiberg knows it.
"We have to get him back to hunting shots, having his teammates look for him in transition," Hoiberg said.
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