Has Nikola Mirotic’s Emergence Caused a Minutes Problem For Chicago?

Nikola Mirotic is averaging 20.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in the month of March, and he is proving to be a key element for the Bulls’ chances in playoff basketball. I recently read a piece on SBNation that suggested Mirotic has become too good. It meant this in a positive way because of the minutes he might potentially steal from Taj Gibson, Joakim Noah and Mike Dunleavy in the playoffs.

But has the rookie become too crucial?

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In one way, yes. The problem is that he has been so effective when paired with Gibson and Noah, but you also can’t keep Pau Gasol off the floor if you are Tom Thibodeau. Pau is not having a bad year either, in case you are a Bulls fan who has been living under a rock. So what does Thibs do in the playoffs? Does he reward players like Gibson, Noah and Dunleavy for playing their hearts out and executing team basketball? Or does the head coach reward his rookie and free agent acquisition for their statistically dominant seasons? It will be an interesting juggling act.

Here is a brief excerpt from the piece referenced above that compares Mirotic’s production to a trip that sparks a dulled romance.

"“Mirotic has become the weekend getaway that spices up a stale marriage. Without him, they’re toast. The numbers bear this out. When Mirotic is out of the game, the Bulls are outscoring teams by less than a point per 100 possessions, which corresponds closest to the 35-36 Milwaukee Bucks. When he’s in, that point differential jumps to over six points better than their opponents, which is better than the East-leading Hawks. The Bulls’ two best big man combinations among their four power players are Mirotic/Noah (+8.3) and Mirotic/Gibson (+7.3). No other duo comes close.”"

The numbers are definitely impressive, and you can feel the difference as a viewer when Mirotic is in. He moves the ball to the weak side when defenses overcrowd him and loves to pump fake opponents into silly fouls. His fourth-quarter scoring has been a wonder to behold, and it proves how he has no fear of pressure situations. This obviously becomes more important in the playoffs when defenses tighten up and some players shrink like violets. The poster dunk below is also quite nice.

My bet is that Mirotic will be a sort of Manu Ginobli-like swiss army knife in the postseason. Thibs will rarely, if ever, start the rookie, but also do not be surprised should Nikola finish off the fourth quarter of most games. An overabundance of talent is not a bad thing to have; however, let us see if the Bulls can take advantage of this unexpected development.

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