INDIANAPOLIS -- Even Niko Mirotic is surprised by how poorly he's shooting the ball.

"I'm 2-for-13, 14?" Mirotic asked a reporter after the Chicago Bulls' 115-108 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. "Something like that?"

When Mirotic was told he was indeed 2-for-14 over the preseason's first two games, he disclosed a fact of his own.

"First time in my life," he said. "But hopefully next game will be better and we can win."

Nikola Mirotic shot 1-for-7 against the Pacers, same as he did in the preseason opener. AP Photo/Darron Cummings

The point of preseason games is for teams to work out the kinks and build themselves for the long haul of an 82-game season. Like most teams, the Bulls have plenty of flaws, especially on the defensive end, as the Pacers roasted them throughout the night. But one of the biggest red flags that second-year coach Fred Hoiberg has to worry about relates to Mirotic. Forget the two preseason games -- Mirotic hasn't played consistently well since March 2015, in his rookie season.

"The big thing with Niko is just getting his confidence back," Hoiberg said. "He's going to be the first guy in the gym [Friday], I can promise you that, working on his shot. It's just about going out there and getting the lid off that basket. Once he does that, I'm confident in Niko that he'll be off and running. That's what it's about sometimes with shooters is playing with a confidence, playing with a swagger. And we think Niko will get that back soon."

It's a familiar refrain from Hoiberg as he tries to help the 25-year-old find a rhythm that has been missing for over a year. After showing flashes of offensive brilliance during his rookie year, Mirotic struggled with his confidence throughout last season, especially after having to miss over a month because of complications related to an appendectomy. He remains outwardly positive regarding his slump, but Bulls personnel have to be concerned because Mirotic continues to regress. His offense is streaky and his defense simply hasn't been very good.

"Those shots are good," Mirotic said. "Good decisions. Obviously I'm not making those shots [in] the first two games, but I'm not worried, honestly. I know that offense has never been my trouble. It's just preseason games, first two games. ... I'm not worried, I'm just going to keep working, keep taking those shots, because my teammates, my coaching staff, they want me to take those shots."

Two games aren't going to define anyone's season, and Mirotic has plenty of time to turn things around, but this is not the type of start he or the Bulls wanted. Mirotic was supposed to become a stalwart of a team in transition. Instead, he has become the biggest question mark on a roster full of them.