Leonard Miller came into this season with real momentum, but the early returns have been far rougher than the preseason suggested.
The 6-foot-10 forward is in his first full year with the Bulls after arriving in Chicago last February in a three-team deal that sent Ayo Dosunmu to the Timberwolves. Once he got on the floor in Chicago, Miller quickly made people take notice.
After going undrafted and seeing limited action in Minnesota, he flashed the kind of blend teams covet: quickness, strength and a clean shooting touch. In 27 appearances, he put up 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, started 12 times and hit 55.1% of his shots.
He turned that into an even stronger finish. Over a six-game run in April, Miller averaged 17.0 points and 7.8 rebounds, a stretch that was strong enough for Stacey King to call him the secret weapon.
The Bulls kept him around by exercising a $2.4 million player option this offseason. Miller is in the final year of his rookie contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, with Chicago also weighing what comes next based on how he performs.
His preseason only added to the optimism. Miller averaged 16.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in five games, a strong tease of what he might bring once the games started counting.
But the regular season has not followed that script.
Through eight games off the bench, Miller is averaging 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 43.4% from the field. He also sat out last Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, with head coach Tiago Splitter going with Patrick Williams instead. Williams scored 7 points in 25 minutes, while Miller has logged 141 minutes to Williams’ 44 so far.
Even with the Bulls stumbling to a 1-8 start and riding a seven-game losing streak, Miller is trying to keep the focus on what he can control.
“Things are going not the best,” Miller said. “We all get that struggling isn't good, but you can only control what you can control, and when you come in here and work every day, you can eventually get things rolling. I'm ready for whenever game situation is come ahead.”
For Miller, the bigger picture still matters. He says the goal is a championship, even if that feels far away right now, and he’s also keeping his attention on steady individual growth.
“A ring will be great and individually help my team,” Miller said. “I feel like I just wanna do that”.
The Bulls will host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday at 7:00pm CST/8:00pm EST at the United Center.
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Head coach Tiago Splitter said Powell is currently at 70% health, which leaves the Bulls in a wait-and-see spot as they move toward the next game. Powell has appeared in eight games this season, averaging 19.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, and Chicago will be watching closely to see how quickly he can get back to full speed. [Read more 🡒]
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Bulls Waste Fast Start In Brutal Loss That Got Even Worse
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Chicagos fast start never turned into a finish, and the loss only got messier as the night went on. The Bulls let the Spurs regain momentum in the second half, and the game took another turn when Caleb Wilson, who had been listed as questionable before tip-off, left with an injury, adding another layer of concern to an already frustrating defeat. [Read more 🡒]