Over the past two seasons, Chicago Bulls‘ small forward Nikola Mirotic has proven that he is one of the better international players in the league today. He has also showed that he is a good scorer and can contribute to his team whether he starts or comes off the bench, despite a frustrating shooting slump this season.
However, even with his advanced skill set on the offensive end, the 25-year-old former Spanish League MVP revealed that his goal this season lies on the other end of the court.
“My goal this year is defense. A lot of people look at me as just offense and if I’m going to score shots, but I don’t want to be just a shooter. I want to do some different things because I believe in myself and I know I can rebound the ball. I know I can improve a lot on defense, so that’s one of my goals.”
Despite his impressive offensive averages from last season, it is quite noticeable that he has not produced at the same level for steals and blocks. Mirotic has also been seen at times struggling to defend other wingmen who are bigger and stronger than he is. He admits that defense is still a work in progress as he transitions to the NBA game, which is different from the international style of play.
“It’s very different in international games. Playing in Europe is easier because there’s not that many games, the physicality is completely different. I’m just trying to put some weight on my body. I spend a lot of hours in the weight room, and when I’m on the court and my opponents defend my shots, I want to try and make some different impact even if the ball is not going into the rim.”
If Nikola Mirotic proves successful in improving his defensive skills, there will be no doubt he'll be one of the toughest matchups in the league. The Bulls' coaching staff is expected to work with him closely to help him become the best player that he can be and be part of the team's future plans.
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