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Chicago Bulls: Nikola Mirotic Must Build Off Recent Success

By James D. Tillman III

Jan 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic (44) drives to the net as Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) defends during the third quarter of the game at the Wells Fargo Center. The Chicago Bulls won the game 115-111 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic (44) drives to the net as Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) defends during the third quarter of the game at the Wells Fargo Center. The Chicago Bulls won the game 115-111 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic must continue to play well following a successful outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In March of 2015, Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic averaged a remarkable 20.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per outing. Not only that, he also led the league in fourth-quarter scoring during that stretch.

These days, however, Mirotic has not been enjoying the same level of success that helped him finish second in Rookie of the Year voting a year ago. For example, in the seven games prior to Chicago’s impressive 96-83 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 23, Mirotic had converted just 15 of his 56 attempts overall (27 percent) and 7-for-28 (25 percent) from beyond the arc.

Having said that, it is of little surprise why the second-year forward was playing with a lack of confidence.

"“I’m struggling a little bit now and not shooting well,” Mirotic said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. “I’m not feeling the same confidence I was before. I’m not scoring easy baskets. I’m not running like before. I’m not making those open 3s. I’m not doing things in the low post.”"

But despite his recent struggles, Mirotic was a key contributor in the Bulls’ recent win against the top team in the Eastern Conference. In that contest, Mirotic scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Along with that, he was 5-for-9 from the field, including a 3-for-5 effort from three-point range, marking just the fourth time in 12 games that Mirotic has converted at least 50 percent of his attempts. And on the heels of an impressive performance against one of the top teams in the league, first-year coach Fred Hoiberg had nothing but positive things to say about Mirotic.

"“Niko, going back and watching that first game of the year when we played Cleveland, Niko led us in scoring that game with 19,’’ Hoiberg told the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s so big for us when he’s out there knocking down shots. Not only scoring the ball, but spacing the floor where teams won’t come off of him when we’re running our ball-screen actions, and he was terrific. I thought he battled on the other end as well, got us into our coverages, and making those shots was huge.’’"

One of the reasons why Mirotic is such an important part of the puzzle is because of the frontcourt depth — which has been a perceived advantage for the Bulls over the past two seasons — may have a different look to it after this season. With both Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol becoming free agents at the end of the season, Mirotic will be expected to prove that he can help fill that void to a great extent.

In addition to that, when Mirotic plays well, the Bulls win more than they lose. Case in point, when Mirotic scores in double figures, their record is 14-8, which equates to a .636 winning percentage.

Next: Chicago Bulls: 5 Midseason Takeaways

On the flip side of the coin, when Mirotic fails to reach the double-digit plateau, the Bulls are just 11-10, with a winning percentage of .524. Whether or not the outing against the Cavaliers will be a turning point for Mirotic remains to be seen.

What is certain is that both his teammates and the front office are hoping that he can build off his recent success going forward.

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