Chicago Bulls: Fans Should Be Excited About Future Arrival of Nikola Mirotic

The Chicago Bulls need an upgrade at the shooting guard spot.

With that said, it was rather surprising that they didn't use either of their two first-round picks on one in this past June's NBA draft.

Passing up shooting guard Marshon Brooks, the Bulls came away with power forward Nikola Mirotic (drafted 23rd overall by Houston and eventually traded to Chicago) and small forward Jimmy Butler (30th overall).

Butler could develop into a nice pro down the road, but the player Bulls fans should really be ecstatic about is Mirotic, who has drawn comparisons to reigning NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki.

So, since Mirotic's name is being mentioned in the same sentence as a future Hall of Famer like Nowitzki, why was he drafted so low in a draft that many considered weak?

Well, his contract with Real Madrid prevents him from playing in the NBA for at least another two or three years, which apparently scared a few teams away. If it wasn't for that contract, though, Mirotic easily would have been a lottery pick.

In July, Mirotic led Spain to a title at the FIBA U20 European Championship. He was named MVP after averaging 27 points and 10 rebounds per contest and shooing a tournament-best 59.5 percent from the field.

The 6'10" Mirotic brings a lot to the table. He can shoot the lights out and has range that extends out to the three-point line. He also possesses solid ball-handling, a quick first step for his size and can contribute good help defense.

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau sounds like he's looking forward to Mirotic coming to Chicago.

"His skill set fits us well," Thibodeau said. "He also complements Carlos [Boozer]. He's highly skilled, great touch. But he's more than a spot-up shooter. He can put it on the floor. I like his frame. He looks like one of those guys who will get better and better." 

Mirotic also reminds some people of former Bulls sixth man Toni Kukoc, who helped the club capture three consecutive titles from 1996-1998.

Hopefully, when Mirotic finally makes the jump to the NBA, he can have a Kukoc-type impact in Chicago and help Derrick Rose and the gang win multiple championships.

Bulls fans definitely have something to look forward to.