Chicago Bulls: Why Nikola Mirotic Needs More Playing Time

What if I told you that the Chicago Bulls had a player who could potentially be the next Dirk Nowitzki on their bench, but they were only giving him 17 minutes per game?

Everything I just said is not an exaggeration by any means. Forward Nikola Mirotic truly has the potential and capability to be a star stretch four and put up numbers similar to Nowitzki.

I have known about Mirotic for quite a while, as he played basketball professionally from 2006-08 with the Real Madrid juniors team, then signed with the senior team and played with them through the 2013-14 season, after which he signed a contract to come play for the Bulls in the 2014-15 NBA season.

Mirotic didn’t stink up the joint in Spain either, as he averaged 10.8 points per game on 54.9 percent shooting from the floor, including 40.2 percent from behind the three point line and 84.8 percent from the foul line for his career.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/3/2014.

Mirotic was used to being a major contributor for his team in Europe, but since he’s come to the Bulls, he has been forced to be a spectator for most of his young career so far.

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Out of the 18 games Chicago has played so far, Mirotic has recorded six outings of eight minutes or less, an insult to the talent he brings to the table in terms of both offensive and defensive versatility.

Offensively, Mirotic has the ability  to be match-up nightmare for his opponents. The ability to pull-up from the mid-range or from beyond the arc comes naturally for Mirotic, who is used to playing more on the perimeter because of the style of basketball that is heavily played in the international leagues.

Many teams overseas like to have a primary big man down low and then spread the floor with as many shooters as possible, focusing mainly on ball movement rather than a lot of the dribble drive offense that is seen in the NBA.

Granted, the NBA has arguably one of the best collections of talented athletes and physical specimens in the world, but the game is different in other countries, as it is focused more on getting a well-timed shot in rhythm, not as much getting a dunk in transition.

Mirotic’s perimeter game is more than just spotting up for a jump shot, however. Mirotic is more than capable of taking his man off the dribble and pulling up from deep or getting to the rim for an easy finish.

A big man that can handle the ball as well as Mirotic can is a hot commodity in today’s NBA, as versatility and perimeter ball skills are being sought after more in big men, and traditional power forwards and centers are being courted less and less, as the league looks to build around players that are more than finishers and rebounders at the basket.

A lot of Mirotic’s offensive skills can be seen in the highlight video below, courtesy of GD’s Extra Highlights,  of the Bulls’ loss to the Trail Blazers, where he got significant playing time and was able to showcase the talents that make him a special player for his size:

It is pertinent to note that Mirotic flashed more than just shot-making capability. Consistently running the floor and making a timely pass were two elements present in Mirotic’s performance that really stood out and helped to make a case that he could actually play some small forward in stretches for the Bulls.

We’ll come back to that point later, but it is an important point nonetheless.

Defensively, Mirotic has all of the athletic tools and awareness to really be multidimensional on that end of the court and be effective in different areas for Chicago.

Mirotic’s length and lateral quickness really give him an edge when it comes to defending smaller players, so using him in a bigger lineup with two traditional big men down low plus Mirotic on the perimeter would not hurt the Bulls’ defense as much as one might think.

With all of that said, Mirotic deserves more minutes with this Bulls team because of what he can do offensively for a team that currently ranks 13th in both points per game and offensive efficiency.

Mirotic’s per-36 numbers are incredibly efficient, especially his shooting and rebounding numbers, and could really help Chicago balance out its offense and spread the floor more. In fact, Mirotic has already been helping the team ever since Taj Gibson went down due to a left ankle injury.

Mirotic has averaged 13 points per game on 48.9 percent from the field to go along with 7.8 rebounds per game and 1.8 assists per game, numbers that would actually have ahead of  a lot of the rookie class to this point in the season.

Mirotic has contributed at a higher level than a lot of rookies have in the past, something that should be embraced by coach Tom Thibodeau with open arms.

After Gibson comes back, the frontcourt rotation will be crowded, with Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol deserving heavy minutes as well as Gibson, but that doesn’t mean that Mirotic should be cast out of the rotation as he virtually has been to start the season.

This is where Mirotic’s ability to play spot minutes on the perimeter is important because he can step in and get minutes at both the 3 and the 4, especially since fellow rookie Doug McDermott has been getting fewer and fewer minutes by the day.

The 23-year-old rookie has begun to really make a name for himself in Chicago. He deserves all the playing time he can get, not only because he is that talented, but because the Bulls need more offensive firepower anyway they can get it.

*Statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.

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