If there’s a favorite whipping boy for Bulls fans, Nikola Mirotic would win that election by a resounding percentage.

For many, he represents what the Bulls have been the last couple seasons: someone on a given night who can be the best player on the floor against the best teams in the league while also, on a given night, can be invisible.

His inconsistency is maddening, especially with how much the Bulls need him to produce offensively.

For a three game stretch, he went scoreless, then shot two-for-nine, then didn’t make a field goal in a close loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

When that’s the case, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said the rim can look like a thimble, as opposed to looking like an ocean when a player is hot.

Then before Thursday night’s game in Miami, Hoiberg pulled the bearded one into his office.

“I had a really good talk with Niko in Miami,” Hoiberg said. “I told him if anybody can relate to having struggles in the league, it’s me. I had him in my office that day. I said if you feel like you’re on an island, you feel like the world is against you, it’s never as bad as you think it is.”

Mirotic, who could never play poker given how prominently his emotions are displayed on his face, lightened up. Hoiberg likes to joke about his playing career in the NBA, but he was able to stick around for a decade so the self-deprecation can only take him so far.

But it reached Mirotic, who responded in the last two games with 27 points and 16 rebounds in two wins against Miami and Washington.

“I really appreciate that and it made me feel better,” Mirotic said. “I had a good game in Miami and it gave me that confidence back and it was good for me.”

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Mirotic is only shooting 32.7 percent from three, a number that will have to rise if the Bulls are to come out of this circus trip with an even mark, or at least to be able to stay around .500 before the home-laden December schedule.

When Mirotic is rolling, like his behind-the-back pass in traffic that led to a dunk and 3-point play for Taj Gibson, it can leave many salivating, wanting more. He hit a big triple in the fourth against the Wizards Saturday that caused Gibson, who was waiting to check back in, to tell Hoiberg to keep Mirotic in.

Hoiberg called it a “selfless act”, but Gibson, who won the starting power forward spot over Mirotic in training camp, didn’t see it that way. Mere empathy was the emotion.

“People don’t understand, it takes a whole team,” Gibson said. “Jimmy (Butler) won’t score all those points if people don’t do the small things. We really need Niko to come into his old self. It’s tough being ridiculed every other game about shot selection, how you’re not making threes and it’s tough on a kid. I think it was great for him to get those reps and get the confidence. As soon as he hit the three I said, Fred keep him in.”

“Niko’s my guy. He’s been a great teammate. He’s family. Anyway I can help his game, I’ll tell Fred to keep him. He hit a tough shot, played great defense. Leave him in.”

One can say his best place is off the bench, with less pressure than being a starter. His hope is he can string a few of these games together at the right time, but of course, through two and a half seasons, he didn’t get this reputation out of nowhere.

“But I enjoyed last game and tonight, how I went out and played,” Mirotic said. “I just need to move forward.”