Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic has elevated his game since the beginning of the season. And with his improved play he has earned both the respect of his teammates and coaches.
And because Mirotic has thrived despite playing in one of the deepest frontcourts in the league, is it reasonable to include him as a potential candidate for Rookie of The Year?
The Chicago Bulls have given their fans plenty of reasons to be confident with the on-court product they have watched this season. Following an impressive 114-105 win over the Houston Rockets on Jan. 5, the Bulls proved that they have multiple players that can hurt opposing teams in different ways.
And while the emergence of Jimmy Butler and the consistent play of Pau Gasol have certainly contributed to the team’s success early on, there is a player who has flown under the radar until recently. That player in question is Nikola Mirotic.
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When the Bulls executed a draft-night trade with the Denver Nuggets to grab Doug McDermott at the No. 11 spot, the fact they brought Mirotic from overseas was nearly considered a footnote.
After all, McDermott had just finished one of the most impressive seasons in NCAA history in which he became the fifth-highest leading scorer, while averaging 26.7 points per game during his senior season at Creighton.
And with the reputation as a player who is capable of scoring from any spot on the floor, McDermott was one of the players who was expected to help bolster the team’s offense.
Having said that, it was reasonable to think McDermott would be the one who would contribute sooner rather than later, but that hasn’t been the case. And although Mirotic averaged a pedestrian three points per contest in the first 10 games of the season, he has turned things around since then.
Case in point, Mirotic closed out the month of November by scoring in double digits in five of the last seven games. This included a 24-point, 11-rebound performance in a losing effort against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 21. But if you thought that the rookie was simply riding a wave of good fortune, your would be incorrect.
And how did Mirotic follow up that stretch of games?
I’m glad you asked. He went on to have a very impressive month in December as well, with averages of 9.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest, while shooting 43.9 percent from the floor. These numbers placed him second among rookies in the conference.
In addition to that, Mirotic scored at least 10 points in nine of the 15 games the Bulls played, which included a brilliant outing against the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 19. In that contest, Mirotic poured in 27 points (7-for-10 FG), to go along with eight rebounds.
Along with that, he also converted all six of his attempts from beyond the arc, helping the Bulls earn a win over one of the many talented teams in the western conference. And although Taj Gibson was sidelined with an ankle injury, the Bulls didn’t miss a beat, as Mirotic exceeded expectations when his number was called.
And as a result of his improved play, Mirotic was named Eastern Conference Rookie of The Month. An honor that is well deserved to say the least.
While his scoring and rebounding numbers are impressive, the thing that I like about Mirotic is that he is capable of playing at different positions. At 6-foot-11, his natural position is the 4 spot. However, with Mike Dunleavy sidelined with an ankle injury over the last few games, Mirotic has been taking on multiple roles.
In the game against the Rockets that I mentioned earlier, Mirotic played all 27 minutes at the small forward position. What were the results?
Well, he scored 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked two shots and finished with a team-high rating of +15. Even more importantly, nine of his 17 points came in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer from the right corner that gave the Bulls a 110-103 lead with under a minute to play.
His solid performance was significant because it allowed Thibodeau to play him for the entire period. And the head coach had nothing but praise for his rookie following that game, as reported by CSN Chicago’s Mark Strotman:
"He’s doing a lot of great things. He’s playing more than one position. At times he’s a big, at times he’s a small, and he’s showing that he can handle all that which is very very impressive in itself because of the differences in the two positions."
No longer does Mirotic pass up open shots the way he did when the season first began. And gone are the days when he struggled in regards to having confidence in his ability. The player that we see before us today is learning the tendencies of his opponents, which has enabled him to improve with each outing.
So while there was a lot of hype surrounding McDermott during the offseason, it is Mirotic who has proved that he belongs in the NBA. And if he continues to play at a high level for the duration of the season, it wouldn’t be a stretch to include him in the conversation for Rookie of The Year.