Bulls’ fans should be excited about Lauri Markkanen

Lauri Markkanen was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, drafted by the Chicago Bulls. Moments before Adam Silver announced his name, the No. 7 overall pick had been traded to Chicago in a trade that eventually sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lauri Markkanen to the Chicago Bulls.

Arizona Wildcats days

The 20-year old power forward had a great season in Arizona with the Wildcats as he averaged 15.6 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game, on 49.2% FG and 42.3% from the three-point line. With the Wildcats, Markkanen was the centerpiece of this team. His teammates and coaches were trusting his shot, his abilities on both sides of the court, his athletic skills and high basketball IQ and he turned into the leader of the team. Sean Miller and his coaching staff helped him a lot with his style of play in the NCAA. In various interviews, Miller has stated how he was pleasantly surprised with this young man, by how ‘hard’ he played, and how he gave the Arizona Wildcats his heart and soul. Coach Miller also commented on how he thinks the Bulls are a great fit for Markkanen, who according to him will take on this challenge with the Bulls and succeed to the next level, the NBA. 

Chicago Bulls + Summer League

The Chicago Bulls drafted and finally signed Markkanen to a multi-year contract on July 5th, with the hope, and the plan of building around him in the future. Now that Butler is gone and Wade’s future is uncertain in Chicago, the Bulls are looking to find ways to build around the Finish star, make him the centerpiece of this historic team and help him succeed in the NBA. By putting experienced players around him that will help the young prospect ‘grow’ in the NBA and also having other real power forwards for the competition will be something interesting to watch this upcoming season. The next couple of seasons will be rebuilding seasons for the Bulls. If they manage to take another great player in next year’s NBA Draft, like a Michael Porter Jr., or even perhaps Luka Doncic who could be the best NBA prospect or another player who has the talent and the potential to become great, then the Bulls with their new duo and young players (Zach Lavine, Chris Dunn) will start re-building effectively and will bring Chicago back to where it belongs. Las Vegas is predicting that the Chicago Bulls will only win 21 – 22 games this season; last in the NBA. This shows, that this season will be a test for Markkanen and the other rookies, sophomores, getting used to the NBA, the tempo, the different style of play and the speed of the game. 

In the 2017 NBA Las Vegas Summer League, Markkanen introduced himself to the NBA. With the Bulls’ Las Vegas squad, in the three games he participated in, Markkanen managed to average 14.0 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game on a ‘poor’ 29% FG. Even though his shot was not falling, Markkanen showed signs of his talent and his unique skills by handling the ball in the low/high post, shooting deep three-pointers, finishing at the rim and showcasing his athletic skills, with highlight plays on both sides of the court. The way he uses the ball on the offensive side of the court, with his back to the basket as he fadeaways is like watching a young Dirk Nowitzki/Kristaps Porzingis and this is what the Bulls are looking for in this young prospect. The Chicago Bulls’ fans however, were not so happy with the Butler trade and the selection of Markkanen at the No. 7 pick, but after the Summer League and most importantly the Eurobasket, most of the fans have instantly changed their mind on this young man. 

Eurobasket 2017

Markkanen was phenomenal in the 2017 Eurobasket, with his national team, Finland. He led his team to the top-16 in Group A against a solid contender in France and Poland while averaging 24.3 (!) points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game in the three, first games. He finished the competition with 19.5 points per game and 5.7 rebounds. He made some huge clutch shots down the stretch of a game, grabbed important rebounds and played stellar defense when needed. In Europe, everyone is talking about the ‘phenomenon,' Lauri Markkanen who led Finland through to the second round of the Eurobasket. Even Dirk Nowitzki's shooting coach, weighed in on his game and gave his thoughts on how successful he can be in the NBA. Following Markkanen’s 27-point performance, which led Finland to a crucial 2OT victory over Poland, Dettman was asked about the similarities the two shooting power forwards have and also how ‘special’ the Bulls’ young prospect is.

              “I don’t need to say how special he is. You all see it when he plays. There’s something I’ve been saying for some time: It’s unfair to compare human beings with each other. And we are talking about players from different areas. But there are many similar things in the game that Dirk and Lauri play”. 

Skills and work ethic

Moreover, Dettman; Finland's head coach stated how important the work ethic is and how it will affect Lauri in his career in the long-term. “The only thing we don’t know is if Lauri has the same work ethic that Dirk has with the game. If Lauri has the same work ethic and is healthy, he’ll definitely reach the same level that Dirk has. He has skills, speed, understanding for the game. It’s also natural. The new generation has to be better than the one of the past.” This shows how Dettman, believes Markkanen can be unique and successful in the NBA, as he has the talent and skills to succeed.

Furthermore, this young man has been drawing attention to his name due to the spectacular things he is doing on the court for his national team, and the records he is breaking. With his 27 points against Poland, Markkanen had the second best Eurobasket U-20 single-game scoring display after Hall of Famer, Arvydas Sabonis. These three games in the 2017 Eurobasket have been phenomenal for him, but can he continue this ‘domination,' by scoring points, making clutch plays, grabbing crucial rebounds and making the right plays? It sure is impressive for a 20-year old to lead his team into the second round of the Eurobasket, but Markkanen has to be tested in the NBA where the level of competition will be different and where people will expect a lot from him.

To conclude, Markkanen is the next big thing in the NBA coming over from Europe; Finland, but can he live up to the hype and the expectation he built with his performances in the Eurobasket? Which player would you compare him to and most importantly how will his game translate to the NBA the upcoming seasons?

By Dionysis Aravantinos / dionysis.aravantinos@gmail.com