Leonard Miller Making the Most of New Opportunity with Chicago Bulls

A two-word message has encapsulated Leonard Miller's young career in the NBA: stay ready.

The 22-year-old forward patiently waited for the chance to earn more playing time over two-and-a-half years with the Timberwolves, but it never came to fruition. Minnesota reached back-to-back Western Conference Finals, leaving little room for young players to develop as the team chased an NBA Championship. That's part of the same reason the Wolves shipped off 21-year-old Rob Dillingham, along with Miller, in last month's Ayo Dosunmu trade.

Chicago has given Miller that space to grow. He's worked his way into a larger role with the Bulls than he ever received in Minnesota, and Miller's new team is reaping the benefits.

Sunday's 120-97 win over the Bucks snapped the Bulls' 11-game losing streak, which lasted the entire month of February. Miller played a big part in the victory.

"It feels amazing to really get the chance to go out there and do what I do," Miller said on Tuesday. "I've been waiting for an opportunity like this my whole career, since I started in the league. The last couple of games, really getting the chance to go out there, showcase, add to this team and finally get a win over the stretch of losses... not only me, but everyone was happy. I have huge gratitude for my coaches for believing in me, and I'm just continuing to build."

Miller logged a breakout performance against Milwaukee. In 27 minutes, the 6-foot-10 wing made six of his eight shots for 15 points while adding five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. Each of those statistics was Miller's most in a game during his three-year NBA career.

The fact that Miller's efforts resulted in a victory for his team meant the world to him, especially after rarely seeing the floor in Minnesota. It also let him know that his hard work was paying off, and that Billy Donovan and the Bulls coaching staff had stuck to their word.

Miller said he had previously been in a situation where he was frequently told to stay ready, but that never manifested in the form of more playing time. In Chicago, the young forward is constantly communicating with the coaches and always thinking about basketball, regardless of whether he's at home or the team's facility.

Donovan and the staff have been patient with Miller and have forced him to "turn on his thinking cap." Miller now spends his time envisioning situations he could be in while on the court, recalling film lessons and various reps to prepare himself for his next game action.

"At the end of the day, I just love hooping," Miller said. "It's my passion, it's what I love doing, and to have my team get a win, that's all I want."

Miller has now turned from a back-end depth piece in Minnesota to an intriguing developmental candidate in Chicago. The Timberwolves played Miller an average of just 3.7 minutes per game over 49 outings with the team, and the Bulls are at a more appropriate stage of roster construction to invest in Miller's upside.

At just 22 years old, Miller is one of the youngest players on the Bulls' roster, older than just Matas Buzelis, Lachlan Olbrich, Noa Essengue and Dillingham. The flashes that he's shown in his last two games — in which he's combined for 26 points on 76.9% shooting, eight rebounds, six assists and four blocks — give Chicago a potential long-term building block as it enters its rebuild.

That's a role that Miller says his skillset fits perfectly, and the former second-round pick is embracing the opportunity to carve out his role ahead of the next iteration of Bulls basketball.

"All we need is a crumb," Miller said. "I've been an underdog my whole career. A lot of the guys on this team have been underdogs in their careers. Now we have the platform on this team to come in, build and start something special. I feel like that [win] was a step in the right direction."