Chicago Bulls Rumors: Nikola Mirotic will be ‘fourth wheel’ in big man rotation
By Josh Hill
The Chicago Bulls drafted forward Nikola Mirotic all the way back in 2011 but he’s just now making his debut in the NBA.
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Fans have been waiting years to see if the Spanish big man can do anything special with the team as he’s been hyped beyond belief. But the Bulls have a loaded frontcourt of big men that will see Mirotic truly have to earn his keep on the roster and with minutes.
According to Nate Duncan from Basketball Insiders, while the rookie season of Mirotic is something that Bulls fans have looked forward to, he will likely be the fourth wheel in the big man rotation.
"That is somewhat close to my thoughts, but he will probably be the 4th wheel in the big man rotation. I think he’ll be a better offensive player than Anderson, but maybe slightly worse on the defensive boards. I only see him playing 15 mins/game though, although he could get more time if there are injuries which there probably will be to Chicago’s top 3 big men."
This was sort of expected and it’s why Mirotic was mildly expendable in the rumored Kevin Love trade talks. Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol are the front two starters for the Bulls with Taj Gibson likely to either start in place of Gasol or come off the bench as a sixth man again.
Mirotic will have a decent season, but he’s not going to be a superstar in year one and if he is than he’ll truly have earned it.
Be sure to check FanSided.com’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.