Still Looking To Prove All He Can To Bulls, Niko Mirotic Shines In Win Against Pistons

By Cody Westerlund--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Bulls forward Niko Mirotic sat patiently and pensively as he usually does, choosing his words carefully. He wanted to emphasize his focus in what's left of this wild Bulls season, on a team that's an unpredictable as ever and with a personal future that's just as uncertain.

"I don't know if I'm going to be here or not next year," said the 26-year-old Mirotic, who will enter restricted free agency in July. "I wish I could be here. But at the least, I want to give it my best and try to play well and try to (help) make this team to the playoffs. That's the most important for me. Have to have a good finish -- not an individual finish, just have a good finish for the team."

On Wednesday night, those two trains of thought were intertwined, as they're likely to be down the stretch. Behind Mirotic's season-high 28 points, the Bulls rolled to a 117-95 win against the Pistons at the United Center. The victory lifted Chicago to 34-38 and within 1.5 games of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, currently possessed by Miami. It also gave the Bulls the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Pistons should the two teams finish with an identical record like they currently have.

Mirotic's performance was a big reason for Chicago's success Wednesday. As Jimmy Butler -- 16 points, 12 assists and at least six more "hockey assists" as coach Fred Hoiberg said -- orchestrated the show, Mirotic did much of the finishing, shooting 12-of-15 from the field, including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers.

"Niko should always be confident," Butler said. "That's just me speaking. You're not going to shoot the ball great every night. That's expected, but just go out there, play hard, take the shots that the defense gives you. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't. But continue to be who you are."

With Dwyane Wade (elbow) out for the rest of the regular season, a productive Mirotic is the Bulls' second-best offensive weapon. And it was just last week that Wade, before his injury, told Mirotic that he would have to be the X-factor for the Bulls to reach the postseason, a line of thinking Butler seconded.

"Niko shoots the same shots," Butler said. "They just went in today. That's just part of the game. We try to get Niko going because whenever he's making shots from the outside, it makes everybody's jobs easier. You can't leave him. We need him to keep taking and hopefully making those shots. Like I was talking about, staying confident and being who you are out there on the floor."

Mirotic understands his precarious standing with the franchise moving forward -- which included the Bulls aggressively shopping him ahead of the Feb. 23 trade deadline -- is his own doing. He's had an inconsistent season, averaging 9.8 points on 39.9 percent shooting, including 31.2 percent on 3-pointers.

While he doesn't know what his future holds, Mirotic knows what he still wants. In the short term, that's to produce more nights like Wednesday, when he shined. Maybe, just maybe, that tilts the equation more favorably his way in the long term -- preferably in Chicago but likely elsewhere.

"My mind is that I don't want to prove the rest of the teams anything," Mirotic said. "I don't have to prove nothing. I just want to prove those guys who trusted me, the Chicago Bulls. They waited for me, they gave me a chance. I've been a first-round pick, 2011. I want to play well here.

"It's not about me. It's about the team. Of course, I want to have a good finish to the season. It's important for me, and I just try to step up now in the very important moments."

Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. He's also the co-host of the @LockedOnBulls podcast, which you can subscribe to on iTunes and Stitcher. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.