Nikola Mirotic proves he is Chicago Bulls’ X-Factor in first preseason game
By Ryan Heckman
Nikola Mirotic proved he will be the Chicago Bulls X-Factor this season
Over the last couple of seasons, the Chicago Bulls have visibly been missing one thing. No, not Derrick Rose — that one is obvious. What they have been missing is a legitimate scoring threat besides Rose; someone that can take the pressure off of him so that defenses don’t have to hone in on one player the entire game. This past offseason, Chicago’s brass went out and grabbed themselves just that, signing free agent big man Pau Gasol.
Gasol is going to take pressure off Rose, no doubt. But, what he’s also going to do is pave the way for another fellow new face in black and red: rookie Nikola Mirotic. The Bull drafted Nikola Mirotic back in 2011, knowing that it would be a few years until they could ink him to a deal. They gladly took him, and waited patiently until they could bring him over to the windy city. Now, entering into the 2014-2015 season, Chicago has not one, but two big men that can score the basketball.
Monday night, Chicago took on the Washington Wizards in their preseason opener. Obviously, it is just preseason and doesn’t necessarily reflect the true talent of the team, nor the full-on coaching strategy that will be used by Tom Thibodeau. However, when Mirotic’s number was called in his debut, he answered — boy, did he answer.
What Mirotic pulled off in his first live NBA action was nothing short of incredible. For the longest time, Chicago has been in need of somebody that can create their own shot. They have needed someone that can get to the basket on their own, without having to depend on a pick-and-roll; somebody that can put the ball on the floor and take it straight to the rim and finish. Nikola Mirotic, folks, is exactly that.
Mirotic showed the ability to catch and shoot, a lot like a former Bull used to look, Kyle Korver. In fact, you could hear the commentators use an old phrase that belonged to Korver while in a Bulls uniform. Yes, that phrase is none other than, “Give me the hot sauce!” I can’t express how much fans have been missing the hot sauce since leaving for the Atlanta Hawks, but do not fret, Mirotic has taken that mantra and looks like he is more than comfortable rolling with it.
Finishing 5-for-9 from the field, including a trio of three-pointers, Mirotic scored 17 points to go with five rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes of action. When Rose and Joakim Noah rested in the second half, the slack was picked up by Mirotic in a big way. Even without the veteran playmakers on the court, Nikola Mirotic took over offensively. He looked very comfortable with the ball in his hands, and was active in the paint on both ends of the floor.
What encourages me more so than just his ability to shoot the ball, is Mirotic’s ability to get to the basket and either finish, or draw a foul. The rookie finished a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
“[Nikola] Mirotic can run the floor, put it on the floor, shoot, make plays,” Thibodeau said to the Chicago Tribune after the game. “The way he plays opens up the floor.”
This season, the Bulls will be legitimate contenders not just because of a healthy Derrick Rose, a nasty defensive front led by Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, or even the offensive additions of Pau Gasol and Doug McDermott. Chicago will be in line for a title because of the firepower they have coming off the bench, in Mirotic. The Bulls’ biggest strength a few years ago, when they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, was their depth on the bench. Again, this year, that should be the case and it will be in big part due to what Mirotic offers on both ends of the floor.
For a while, the Bulls had to depend on a guy like Carlos Boozer in the starting lineup. While, at times he was offensively proficient, Boozer struggled defensively. Even on offense, he couldn’t finish at the basket. All he really offered the Bulls was a pull up jump shot from the elbow. Nikola Mirotic, meanwhile, can score from anywhere on the floor. As previously stated, he has a stroke from outside, a nice mid-range jumper and can hang with the big men down low at the basket. All of these are upgrades from a mediocre Boozer — and we’re not even talking a starter, here. That job belongs to Gasol.
What will be fun to watch, though, is how Gasol — a fellow foreign star — will mentor Mirotic. The presence of Gasol in the development of Mirotic should not be understated. Gasol has a lot of experience and skills to offer the youngster, and I guarantee that thought crossed the minds of both Gar Forman and John Paxson when they went after the former Laker.
While overseas, Nikola Mirotic won league MVP with Real Madrid in 2013 and shot a blistering 46 percent from beyond the arc. He was by far the best player in basketball before coming to the United States, and that bodes very well for a team with championship aspirations.