Nikola Mirotic
Nikola Mirotic may be more in the tier of Spencer Dinwiddie, but several Jazz fans were still ecstatic about the possibility of obtaining him last trade deadline. That ultimately wasn’t in the cards, but Mirotic expressed interest in playing for Quin Snyder, and may very well once again be a target for the Jazz this summer when he hits the open market.
There’s no questioning that they could use his incredible shooting. His floor stretching ability was a big reason why Utah was hoping to land him as a potential Derrick Favors replacement in the first place. He’s cooled somewhat after an incredible start this season, but he’s still as reliable as they come behind the arc and just so happens to be putting up a career-high 19.2 points per contest on a career-high 48.2 percent from the field.
That increase in shooting from the floor despite a 3-point percentage that’s below his career mark is actually a nice sign that he’s adding more versatility to his offensive repertoire. I’m confident that his 3-point shooting will revert to the norm this season and moving forward, and the fact that his field goal shooting is getting better in spite of that mini slump is a testament to his overall offensive improvement.
Mirotic’s biggest deficiency is defense, but you can’t tell me that the 19 points per game he could bring wouldn’t be immensely important to Utah’s oftentimes sluggish offense. Sure, the Jazz defense has been disappointing to start the year, but if they get back to their old selves, then Rudy Gobert’s dominance alone should be able to help cover up some of Nikola’s deficiencies.
Not only that, but while he’s not a lock-down defender, he certainly has the versatility to defend out to the 3-point line which would be an important aid to the Jazz as they look to up their switch-ability.
In other words, Mirotic may not be the dream fit, but he’s still a nice fit, and I think his pros outweigh his cons. Furthermore, he’s another example of a talented and exciting free agent that wouldn’t break the bank. Jazz fans were excited at the prospect of nabbing him last February and I could certainly see them being open to pursuing him once again this summer.