I still think he has another big step to go. He has proven he is a good player but he is still not what he should be. Hopefully he can keep figuring himself out and how to be elite in the NBA, he has all the tools to do it though. But he will be an all-star this year and hopefully more going forward.
Lauri is perfectly capable of putting up a 50/15 line if we ran our offense through him like the other 29 teams in this league do with their stars.
I don't think Lauri has the skills to create offense (for himself and others) at that frequency.
It is amazing how poor the bulls coaching staffs were when it comes to developing Lauri. He showed so much potential his first 2 years and then gradually turned him into a passive afterthought his last couple years. Wendell Carter and Lauri should have been one of the best front courts in the nba but ended up being trade bait instead.
He makes me think a bit of Detlef Schrempf, but with much better athleticism and better rebounding, generally better defense, and overall potential. If he can get to the same level of play-making as Schrempf, who had a couple of seasons at over 5 assists per game and was an excellent passer for a big man, that will be something. Here is a comparison of Lauri this season to one of Detlef's best seasons one where he was an all-star. Not far off. But I think Lauri has way more potential, and should eclipse this within a few years. I imagine when Lauri is 28-32 years old we will be talking about much higher comparisons that this, but this is a really good starting point.
Nice comp. That 3 point percentage of Schrempf jumped out at me. Especially for that era. Then I looked at the volume lol.
I meant 50 points and 15 boards. He is not a playmaker. But if you think he cannot create that much offense for himself, you are wrong.
hoopshype.com
I meant 50 points and 15 boards. He is not a playmaker. But if you think he cannot create that much offense for himself, you are wrong.
Likely wont be proven wrong in this system unless we get ravaged by injuries and he has to carry the team. But just read the comments and check the shot chart in this national team game (where the entire game ran through him):
Eurobasket: Lauri Markkanen scores 43 points vs. Croatia
Lauri Markkanen had an enormous game against Croatia, helping his team get to the quarter-finals and making history along the way. He had 43 points – a new Finnish national team record at a major F…
That is in 32 minutes, against an opponent ranked higher than his team by FIBA.
You are reading my mind. I was just about to post the same comparison. In this era Schrempf would have put up huge numbers with his skillset.
My point was he can create his offense. Doesnt need to be spoonfed. One of the main themes in Hawks forums after this game was that they had no one who could cover Lauri both outside and inside due to the combination of his shot, speed and length. John Collins was on him most of the night and got blasted, but they didnt see who could have done better.
basketnews.com
yep, he might get snubbed on the allstar game tbh, this season. Really, despite his obvious improvement,unless the Jazz continue the winning for the next couple months which won't be easy although deserving of it, he could easily get passed over. Maybe fans can vote him in.
At this time seems Lauri should be untouchable
