Who Are the Chicago Bulls’ 10 Most Valuable Assets?
By Jake Barajas
3. Nikola Mirotic
- Age: 25 (Feb. 11)
- Contract: one year, $5.7 million
Going into last season, it was still up in the air as to whether or not Nikola Mirotic could play the three. By the end of his second season, his position enigma became more and more clear as the as Mirotic struggled at small forward.
On the flip side, his three-point field goal percentage climbed over seven percentage points from his rookie year. But as I mentioned last week, Mirotic must prove that his increased field goal percentage from beyond the arc wasn’t merely a product of a hot stretch. If his ability to hit threes is legit, then at worst he is a valuable stretch-four. However, he has the capability to be so much more than a big who shoots threes.
Let’s compare last season to his best month of his career:
| Games | Minutes Per Game | Field Goal % | Three-Point % | Free Throw Attempts/Game | Rebounds Per Game | Points Per Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2015 | 15 | 30.9 | 44.1 | 26.3 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 20.8 |
| 2015-16 Season | 66 | 24.9 | 40.7 | 39 | 2.7 | 5.5 | 11.8 |
Let’s also take a look at how Mirotic was scoring during both of those periods:
| % of Points/2PT | % of Points/3PT | % of Points/FT | Field Goal %/AST | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2015 | 46.8 | 24 | 29.2 | 63.3 |
| 2015-16 Season | 29.1 | 52.1 | 18.8 | 83.5 |
Whoa, look at the way Mirotic was getting to the line during the best 15-game stretch of his career. While the improving three-point percentage is an encouraging sign, Mirotic can do a lot more than just catch-and-shoot.
In March of 2015, he was scoring in a variety of ways and attacking the rim. Last season he abandoned that part of his game. Per NBA Savant, Mirotic attempted 71 more shots from the restricted area in his rookie year than he did last season. That stat comes with Mirotic playing nearly an identical amount of minutes both years.
Mirotic certainly has the tools to be a versatile scorer in the NBA, and he can’t forget what made him so dangerous his rookie season. With him becoming more of a threat from downtown that should give him more opportunities to drive as well. Driving lanes could be limited, however, with the lack of shooting on this team.
Next: No. 2