Leonard Miller Has to Fix the Defense Before the Threes

Where he fits. Miller is a 22-year-old forward in his third year. He has played all six games under Tiago Splitter and is sixth among the Bulls' top eight in minutes at 18.7. He is not on the injury report.

The line so far. He averages 8.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists, shooting 43.8 percent overall and 100.0 percent at the line. Six games is a small sample. The assist number says he finishes plays and rarely creates them.

Threes that don't fall. He takes 4.2 threes a game and hits 20.0 percent of them. His true shooting is still 54.7 percent, so the free throws and twos are holding up his efficiency. Cut the misses and the line gets better fast.

The defensive hole. His offensive rating is 96.4, his defensive rating is 128.1 and his net rating is minus 31.7. The Bulls as a team sit at 121.6 on defense and minus 15.7 net. On the floor, Miller has been worse than a bad team.

Load without payoff. He uses 19.5 percent of possessions while on the floor, grabs 9.7 percent of available rebounds and assists on 7.5 percent of his teammates' baskets. That is a real offensive load without matching production, at least through these six games.

Pay and lineups. Miller makes $2.4M in 2026-27, a small piece of a $164.3M payroll that sits under the cap. Cheap means he does not need to be a star. The Bulls' top-listed five has no Miller in it and is at minus 13 net over 74 minutes.

What he needs to be. Miller needs to be the defender and rebounder who stays inside the offense. Pass on the threes until they fall, keep getting to the line, and drag that 128.1 toward the team mark. Nic Claxton's 27.8 minutes a game are sitting open while he is out.