You really see a change in the way teams approach Jazz games right now. Everyone starts off like "Markkanen is not gonna beat us!!", overplaying him from midcourt like he's freaking Giannis and doubling him without hesitation. But the thing is, since Lauri doesn't have that I-need-to-get-mine mindset, he's content to take a back seat at first, seeing what the rest of the guys can do with the added space on the court, with him having a defender inside his jersey. And this team is perfect for that. These dudes are not stars but they're not getting rattled by the moment either. Anyone can go off, and there's no pecking order set in stone.
Hardy is smart – he's not running Lauri off screens to force him the ball, because that would just make the offense more predictable. He knows the opportunities will come organically when the rest of the guys start putting points on the board and the other team's "Lets contain Lauri" plan falls apart. Little by little Markkanen starts getting to his spots and usually finishes strong.
I'm sure this is the approach Lauri himself enjoys the most as well. To work within the flow of the game, inside the team structure. That's pretty rare for a guy capable of putting up star level stats like it's nothing.
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