Mirotic delivers for Bulls when it matters most
Remember last summer, when there were rumors the Bulls turned down lottery pick trade offers for forward Nikola Mirotic? They probably were true.
Expectations were high for Mirotic's arrival, but the results have been surprising, in a number of ways.
Last year playing for European power Real Madrid, the 6-foot-10 Mirotic averaged 12.4 points. Not bad for a young player with more established teammates like Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez. Mirotic's greatest strength seemed to be 3-point shooting, where he knocked down 46 percent of his attempts.
During his rookie season with the Bulls, the 3-point shot has come and gone. But when the Bulls lost three of their top scorers to injury this month, Mirotic stepped forward as the team's go-to offensive threat as if he'd been doing it his whole life.
How good has Mirotic been this month? Not only has he led the Bulls at 21.0 points per game, he leads the entire NBA in fourth-quarter scoring - by a wide margin.
In March, Mirotic has scored 123 points in the fourth quarter. LeBron James was second with 94 through Monday's games. Russell Westbrook was third with 83.
"They're running a lot of plays for me, so I'm really going through a beautiful moment," Mirotic said after a recent game. "I'm a little bit surprised, too, because I'm doing right now different things than I did before in Madrid, so that's really great for me."
Mirotic, 24, has been the Bulls' leading scorer in seven of the last 13 games and the team is 5-2 when it happens. During this stretch, he has shot just 25 percent from 3-point range.
He can do so much more, though. A game-clinching sequence against Charlotte on Monday was a nice example.
Mirotic hit a 3-pointer. Then he missed a 3-pointer, but when Pau Gasol grabbed the offensive rebound, Mirotic cut to the basket, took a pass and threw down a one-handed poster dunk over Jason Maxiell.
A few seconds later, Mirotic drove to the basket, knew he'd be fouled by Maxiell, but took the contact, finished the lay-in and completed the 3-point play as Maxiell fouled out.
"Dude can play," Jimmy Butler said of Mirotic. "He's basically carried us this month, to tell you the truth. He's confident. I think he's only going to continue to get better. He's constantly putting in extra work."
The rise of Mirotic fits into an optimistic storyline. The injuries will keep the Bulls down in the standings, but the added playing time for Mirotic, Tony Snell, Aaron Brooks and others could make the team more dangerous in the playoffs.
Mirotic appreciates the extended playing time.
"That's why I think I'm playing better, because I feel like I'm playing with more confidence, relaxed," he said. "I know if I make a mistake, I won't go out."
He may have off nights, but Mirotic likely has clinched a spot in the fourth-quarter lineup through the end of the playoffs. There have been NBA big men who can shoot 3s or put the ball on the floor.
Andrea Bargnani's brief heyday in Toronto is one comparison. Cleveland's Kevin Love has some similarities in his game.
But it's tough to identify any 6-10 player with all-around skills who also moves as well as Mirotic. What's stood out the most is his speed. He can run the floor and flat-out blow past defenders on the dribble.
"I was playing European soccer. Maybe that's why I like to run the floor like this," Mirotic said. "But I need to be quick on defense. I need to move fast my feet and I think it's one of the important thing right now, the defense.
"I knew I could play in the NBA. That's why I came here this year, because I was feeling ready to play. Of course, I have to improve on a lot of things, but right now I think I'm showing that I'm ready and just trying to help my team get more wins."
Mirotic won't be a secret weapon in the playoffs. Word is out now. But he will be a challenging matchup for any opponent, and the Bulls probably could use an extra advantage.
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