Following his strong play last season, a lot of expectations were placed on the shoulders of Chicago Bulls stretch big Nikola Mirotic.
The 25-year-old Spanish international had a good 2015-2016 campaign with averages of 11.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He became a key contributor to his team and helped them to a winning record, barely missing out on a playoff spot.
However, this season has been a different story for him as he has struggled to produce the same numbers from a year ago. Mirotic is also in the midst of a shooting slump and recently voiced out his frustrations over it, going as far as saying that he does not feel confident offensively.
“I am very frustrated. Shooting 1-for-13 the last two games is bad. I shot 0-for-11 from three the last few games. I know that I could at least be 5-for-11 or 6-for-11. It’s frustrating, but I can do it. I’ll spend more hours on the court trying to feel better and feel more comfortable, but I know I’m not making shots and not feeling great offensively.”
Despite being frustrated, he still believes he can get out of this funk soon as he understands what it takes to turn around his recent stretch of dismal performances.
“I think I just need to hit a few in a row and to make a couple of threes. Some of these shots during games, I felt great. I felt the ball would go in, but just that there was no way I could score. The thing is I just need to keep working, keep shooting during practice and during the game because my teammates want me to soot. I know I still have the confidence of my teammates and my coaching staff.”
The Chicago faithful are hoping that he shoots his way out of it soon as they know how important his role is to the team. With much of the scoring load shouldered by the starting unit, production from the bench will be something very welcome which Mirotic can contribute.
Most importantly, if he plays at a high level once again this season, he would generate a lot of interest from other teams as he is slated to be a free agent next summer.
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