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Could Nikola Mirotic Win Most Improved Player Award in 2015-16 Season?

By Dave Daniels

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Nikola Mirotic can ball. We all learned that last season, even though he was buried on the bench for the majority of the year. With a new head coach in town, Mirotic might be able to carve out a starting role for himself in training camp, and that would give him some really nice numbers in the 2015-16 season.

Would that allow him to win Most Improved Player next season? The voters might be tired of Chicago Bulls winning the award after Jimmy Butler won it last year, but Mirotic has a real chance to take home some hardware.

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As for his expectations, Mirotic believes that fans haven’t even seen his best work yet.

“Some people may have been surprised with my performance, but those who know me know the best Mirotic is yet to come,” he told Hoopshype. “The expectations grow year by year, I know that. I have many things to improve, both offensively and defensively. But that’s normal for any young and ambitious guy. I’ve always liked to put in the work and make strong decisions. Next year I guess I’m going to have more of a featured role with the team and that’s just another motivation to work extra hard so when the team needs me I’m ready to deliver.”

That is the kind of confidence you love to hear, but he’ll, of course, have to back up that talk on the court. Mirotic will compete, along with Pau Gasol, in the Eurobasket tournament to try and help Team Spain qualify for the 2016 Olympics, and it should be fun to keep track of those two as they prepare for the 2015-16 season.

The 6-10 forward averaged 20.8 points per game in March last year, and that is the player Bulls fans are hoping to see on the court. His numbers dipped in April and in the playoffs when his minutes were reduced, but Fred Hoiberg should give him a much longer leash than Tom Thibodeau did.

Hoiberg visited with Mirotic recently in Spain, and that should pay dividends for the Bulls next year.

“It was a very nice conversation,” Mirotic said. “He’s a great guy that wants to be close to the players. It’s still very early to say how things will go, but we have big goals. We know he’s a very offensive-minded coach, which perhaps is what the team needed, to play with more freedom. We have very talented offensive players that can score in the open court. I’m personally looking forward to starting the new season with him.”

Whether or not he wins Most Improved Player will depend on his production and minutes, but we should know about his chances a lot more about a month into the season.

Next: Derrick Rose's Top 5 Performances

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