McGraw: Mirotic, McDermott, Moore proving worth to Bulls
The Bulls' first order of business is to survive these next few weeks without Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, and not fall out of the East's top four.
Down the road, it's worth wondering if the Bulls will come out of this short-handed stretch stronger than before. Already, Nikola Mirotic, E'Twaun Moore and Doug McDermott have stepped up as significant contributors.
Mirotic saw his run of 20-point games end in Friday's loss at Indiana. But over the last four contests, the 6-foot-10 rookie is averaging 22.0 points - easily best on the team - to go with 8.3 rebounds. If you want to nitpick, Mirotic could be better from 3-point range. He's 2-for-15 in the last two games and the Bulls could have used a few against the Pacers.
Moore has played well most every time he's been given a chance this season. His 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting against Oklahoma City would have been his best performance even without the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left.
McDermott joined the party at Indiana. Just when the Bulls seemed low on energy, the rookie from Creighton stepped in to score 16 points in 16 minutes of action. McDermott basically hadn't contributed in such a manner since he scored 12 against Orlando on Nov. 4.
"I knew it was coming," Joakim Noah said of McDermott's big game, according to bulls.com. "He's too talented for it not to come. He's finally getting an opportunity and the more he plays, the better he is going to be. Dougie's aggressive; I like his style of play."
Friday's game was a convenient reminder that McDermott is one of the greatest scorers in NCAA history. When he looked good in summer league, most people expected him to play a significant role this season, maybe even supplant Mike Dunleavy as the starter at small forward.
Barring more injuries, that's not going to happen. McDermott missed valuable time after having arthroscopic knee surgery on Dec. 15. But those scoring skills could still come in handy during the remainder of the season.
"I've never gone through an injury like that where I missed a large portion of time," McDermott told reporters after Friday's game. "Having a game like this I think will really help me. I still don't feel like I am playing to my potential."
As of Saturday morning, the Bulls were alone in second place in the East, but just a half-game ahead of both Toronto and Cleveland. They have a tough back-to-back looming, with a national TV game Sunday afternoon at San Antonio, followed by Memphis on Monday at home.
After that, the Bulls hit the road while the Big Ten tournament moves into the United Center, playing Philadelphia, Charlotte and Oklahoma City on a three-game trip.
To win games this week, they'll need more help from Mirotic, Moore, McDermott and Tony Snell, who has flattened out after the best stretch of his career.
But what about when the Bulls are back to full strength (assuming it happens)? Mirotic has demonstrated once again he's a matchup nightmare at power forward. He's not just a tall guy who can shoot from the outside, he has impressive speed and can beat most any power forward off the dribble. More minutes at the four spot will be tempting.
Moore might be the Bulls' most complete guard beyond Rose and Butler. He's got some size, at 6-feet-4, is a good defender and has plenty of confidence in his scoring skills when given a chance. If he keeps playing well, Moore could force coach Tom Thibodeau into some tough decisions about whether to give him some of Snell or Kirk Hinrich's minutes.
The jury is still out on McDermott. He'll get a chance to prove the 16 points in Indiana were no fluke. And even though McDermott didn't hit a 3-pointer Friday, one of the Bulls' greatest needs right now are consistent 3-point shooters to spread the floor.
While the Bulls try to survive these short-handed weeks, it would be smart to keep an open mind and treat these games as playoff auditions.
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