25-under-25: Lauri Markkanen is on the cusp of greatness

Once considered a throw-in piece for the massive Jimmy Butler trade, Lauri Markkanen has the makings of a foundational piece for the Chicago Bulls in the present and future.

The Chicago Bulls have been searching for an identity ever since they lost Derrick Rose to a disastrous knee injury in his prime. Some of that search led them to tear everything down, and in the process of rebuilding, they might have lucked into someone special in Lauri Markkanen.

Often compared to Dirk Nowitzki, Markkanen was a monster for the Finnish Junior National Team as he came up through the ranks as a prospect. His ability to stretch the floor as a seven-footer was highly sought after and a draft-day trade helped Chicago secure his services.

As a rookie, Markkanen surprised many as he averaged an efficient 15.2 points per game, mainly thanks to connecting on 36.2 percent of his 5.9 3-point attempts per game.

To quiet any doubts about his physical toughness, he also managed to bring down 7.5 rebounds per game (6.3 of which came on the defensive glass). The term “unicorn” was en vogue at the time and it wasn’t that big of a stretch to categorize Markkanen under that umbrella.

He followed it up in year 2 with both his points and rebounds jumping to 18.3 and 9.0 per game, respectively.

The steady progression and the usefulness of his skills make it pretty evident that he will have a big role in helping the Bulls return back to postseason glory. If he can stay on the court, that is.

In just two seasons, Markkanen has already missed 44 total games — 30 of which came last season. It hasn’t been just one recurring problem either; his list of injuries includes his quadriceps, left ankle, back, elbow, hip and general illness.

The elbow has been the most serious blow to date, suffered during training camp last year. He was out for 10 weeks, which resulted in him missing 23 games.

Despite a slight dip in effective field goal percentage (51.8 to 50.6) it didn’t seem to have a lasting impact as he upped his 3-point attempts to 6.4 per game. As the saying goes, shooters shoot, and Markkanen is definitely a marksman.

Moving forward, where Markkanen will need to improve is his strength. He’s listed at 240 pounds, which is solid given his inside-out style of play, but he doesn’t need to pack on the pounds as much as he needs to find more operational strength. Kevin Durant has been built like a beanstalk his entire career yet he has figured out how to bulk up to allow his body to withstand the nightly beating he takes as a superstar.

Markkanen isn’t at that level yet. if he hopes to get there though, he will need to become a bigger force in the interior.

Stretch bigs are suddenly becoming a dime-a-dozen — Ersan Ilyasova might have another decade left to play at this pace — and though their role and importance remain vital, there aren’t many of them that have become All-Stars or All-NBA types in recent years.

Where the elite separate themselves is their ability to also play in the paint, whether that is via smaller players switching onto them or being a pest on the glass.

Though Markkanen approached 20-10 status in his second season, he could stand to improve on the glass. While some might see a lanky shooter, Markkanen is a plus athlete and he uses that to his advantage when he attacks rebounds.

The next step is for him to not rely so heavily on his athleticism and instead muscle his way into prime position if he really is to wreak havoc on the glass.

Everything is in place for Markkanen to make a jump. Wendell Carter Jr. has shown that he will be no worse than a solid frontcourt partner, Zach LaVine has the scoring ability to help carry the offense, and their latest lottery pick Coby White looks the part of a good modern-day point guard.

It all comes down to whether or not he puts the work in (and remains healthy). The greatest indicator of the future is the past, and if you trace back Markkanen’s, he’s been prepping all of his life for his moment.

It’s here, what he does with it is his choice.

The insider’s perspective

by James Tillman III

Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen has played well during his first two years in the Windy City.Despite battling injuries, he has proven to be more than an adequate scorer (16.7 points per contest) and rebounder (8.2 per outing). Let’s also remember that he’s shooting the long ball at a respectable clip, converting 36.2 percent of his attempts from 3-point range. The next step for the Bulls big man is playing well at the defensive end of the court. If he’s able to add this element to an already impressive skill set, not only will Markkanen be one of the most exciting players to watch next season, he’ll become must-see television for many years to come.

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