Ranking 8th in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bull has not fully adjusted to the offensive approach of their coach Fred Hoiberg compared to the defensive mentality and principle of their former coach Tom Thibodeau. A testament to this is, of course, the inconsistency of the team all throughout the start of the season.
With such current game performance of the team, changes are to be made by the coaching staff. And one of which is the lineup change that coach Hoiberg started to implement. There are reports that starting lineup which normally includes Nikola Mirotic would be changed. According to Chicago Tribune, the starting lineup position of Mirotic would be taken by Taj Gibson. The so-called lineup changes were explained by Coach Hoiberg explained via realgm saying that;
"We've put a lot of numbers together the last couple days just trying to figure out the best lineups that were on the floor the last year and through the beginning portion of this year. We'll see how it impacts the game," Hoiberg said. "We had a lot of talks, debates over the last couple of days. It's certainly matchups. It's how we're playing. It's the rhythm of your guys. You have meetings. That was a big focus of our last couple of days, just talking about different lineup combinations. And then at the end of the day, if you feel like you need to pull the trigger and make a change, you do it and try to do what's best for your team."
This new change with the starting lineup of the Bulls may be shocking especially for Mirotic who started the first 18 games and averaging a 32.6 percent from 3-point range. However, Mirotic is cognizant that he is not playing at a great level right now. Practice never hurts, and while the player gets enough of it during training sessions, to get in the good graces of the coach, maybe he should put in some extra hours and polish his game with a basketball hoop at home or even go to local basketball courts and practice with local youth. That is why he stated that "I have to be positive and whatever is best for the team is best for me too. I need to stay focused and still play my game whether I come from the bench or start. This is a long season and I have to be ready for everything. I know my team needs me," said Mirotic via Chicago Tribune.
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