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Lauri Markkanen Hype & Appreciation Thread

It's still just crazy the Bulls had Markkanen for 4 years and didnt see the potential and figure out how to make it work to the point that the entire NBA was like "Ehh, I guess he's just mid" so he goes to Cleveland to play as a catch and shoot player.
 

lmfao.

The Bulls got Derrick Jones Jr for Lauri Markkanen and a yet to be conveyed lottery protected Blazers pick.
That article is a good example of how tricky it can be to assess transactions right away. Its pretty safe to say that was not a B+ roster move for the Bulls, and it worked out quite a bit better than a C for the cavs.
 
That article is a good example of how tricky it can be to assess transactions right away. Its pretty safe to say that was not a B+ roster move for the Bulls, and it worked out quite a bit better than a C for the cavs.
It really is things like this that make me feel real confident that, when Markkanen becomes a free agent down the road, he'll want to stay in Utah.

He has first hand experience in how much a situation can influence his output. Crushing it in Utah after being misused on other teams will be on the forefront of his mind.
 
It really is things like this that make me feel real confident that, when Markkanen becomes a free agent down the road, he'll want to stay in Utah.

He has first hand experience in how much a situation can influence his output. Crushing it in Utah after being misused on other teams will be on the forefront of his mind.
Well now the NBA has the blueprint.

What will keep him in Utah is money and years.
 
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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