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Lauri Markkanen Hype & Appreciation Thread

Agent#00 said:
what is military service like? jungle survival? weapons training? hand to hand combat? jumping off a helicopter? i hope he dont injure himself
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NHL goalie Antti Raanta wrote about his time in the army.
www.theplayerstribune.com

The Meaning Behind My Mask | By Antti Raanta

If you really want to appreciate the small things in life, I would suggest living with 5,000 guys on an army base in Finland ... in the middle of winter.
www.theplayerstribune.com www.theplayerstribune.com
The difference being he served in winter 2009 and in a normal unit.

I wrote here a couple pages back how the service is in Sports-school (aka "Special reconnaissance unit" :

Lauri Markkanen Hype & Appreciation Thread

I love this lol. View: https://twitter.com/Sneaky__Ben/status/1646346458159882241
jazzfanz.com jazzfanz.com
 
Tanktastic said:
I'm pretty sure he'd rather be in the playoffs competing rn rather than getting an award. Nice consolation, nice recognition, but that's not why you play the game.
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Ya I still think he probably thought this season was awesome. Probably his best season. And he probably likes it here and isn't looking to leave like some Debbie downers were saying.
Plus he is getting his military out of the way.
And due to us missing the playoffs we are likely to add a better player to his team that will help his team be better next year.
 
If we really had a shot at adding Luka while keeping at least Lauri and Kessler, then it would be worth nearly any cost we would have to pay. Luka has never had a running mate like Lauri nor a defender like Kessler. At that point filling in with some solid vets and some young hungry players would be enough to push us over the top. Instant contenders. Highly highly unlikely Dallas lets him go for anything, but interestingly enough, we are maybe in the best position with assets and stage in rebuild to go after and actually get Luka. We haven't been in that position very much in our entire history, so we should do what we can to maximize that position. Cannot wait to see what DA does this off-season.
 
Swuul said:
To clarify the comment a bit, "silent" as in "make noise and you get to see the brig", not "silent" as in "there is nothing to do".
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If Lauri wins MIP i'm sure of that Lauri's unit commanding officer will announce it Tuesday morning so all recruits in Finnish defensive forces sport unit can congratulate Lauri.
Having NBA allstar and likely NBA's most improved player and possibly ALL NBA selection is huge PR win to Finnish defensive forces.
 
FIBA World Cup draw for the group phase was held today. Lauri will have a full run for the money next autumn carrying Team Finland ("the Wolfpack"), as Finland was drawn to the toughest group (eight groups, each with four countries) of the competition, with medal favourites Germany and Australia together with the fanatically supported home-crowd favourite Japan. Jazz missed the play-offs, but Lauri sure will get to play at least three tough as nails "do-or-die" games in preparation right before the season starts (especially if he by some miracle would carry Team Finland to the play-offs). Only two teams go through to from each group (there are eight groups) to the single elimination play-offs (and this is the first time ever Team Finland made it through the qualifiers to take part in the actual World Cup).

For the reference, USA was drawn to play in same group with Greece, Jordan and New Zealand. Greece sure will put up a fight, but matches vs Jordan and New Zealand will be snooze-fests (two of the weakest teams taking part in the competition).

EDIT: The groups https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/groups

EDIT 2: The coach for Team Finland expects the Army to command Lauri to join the Team Finland practices by the end of July, so he should be available for the practice matches in early August. I for one believe him to be quite stiff during those still, due to the physical training in the Army, so his training camp with Team Finland will be pretty much perfectly timed for Jazz needs :).
 
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Swuul said:
FIBA World Cup draw for the group phase was held today. Lauri will have a full run for the money next autumn carrying Team Finland ("the Wolfpack"), as Finland was drawn to the toughest group (eight groups, each with four countries) of the competition, with medal favourites Germany and Australia together with the fanatically supported home-crowd favourite Japan. Jazz missed the play-offs, but Lauri sure will get to play at least three tough as nails "do-or-die" games in preparation right before the season starts (especially if he by some miracle would carry Team Finland to the play-offs). Only two teams go through to from each group (there are eight groups) to the single elimination play-offs (and this is the first time ever Team Finland made it through the qualifiers to take part in the actual World Cup).

For the reference, USA was drawn to play in same group with Greece, Jordan and New Zealand. Greece sure will put up a fight, but matches vs Jordan and New Zealand will be snooze-fests (two of the weakest teams taking part in the competition).

EDIT: The groups https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/groups
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On one hand I love what Eurobasket did for Lauri’s confidence last year. On the other hand I hate the idea of him getting hurt or worn down before the NBA season.
 
SoberasHotRod said:
On one hand I love what Eurobasket did for Lauri’s confidence last year. On the other hand I hate the idea of him getting hurt or worn down before the NBA season.
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While legit fear, I don't think that fear is fair or much warranted. At least 3 hard games against NBA dotted teams - that must be taken like playoffs games - as The Wolfpack's undisputed go-to-guy, and de facto in a role of kind of on-court coach, who will also take heaviest load of media pressure acting as the face of whole team, cannot be too far from an optimal primer for the next NBA Season, where he'll act in similar roles anyway, while there are no particular risk for not training enough or to be physically not repaired enough when the season starts.

Besides, his participation is military command, the command that can be considered coming from the top brass, the command, that is certain ways already initiated and ensured by Mr. President himself even Lauri's service had barely begun, thus it's not like there would be much other options.

So, take it easy, don't worry too much, and root for the Wolfpack and Lauri. To him it has been, is, and will be an enormous honor to play for His country.
 
SoberasHotRod said:
On one hand I love what Eurobasket did for Lauri’s confidence last year. On the other hand I hate the idea of him getting hurt or worn down before the NBA season.
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That's the main point. Or getting tired even if Lauri still young. Have seen it with Rudy this year. He never never skip the competition wiht National Team but this year it was a mistake. He came tired, not working enough with new teammates. But I can understand the fact that playing for his country is an honor that you want to do.
 
Just to want dispel unnecessary fears on overloading Lauri (to make him more injury-prone): Already before his military service began, Coaching Director of Finnish Basketball Federation, Henrik Dettman publicly pointed out the need to ensure enough rest for Lauri as a sport specific requirement to maintain good conditioning. The Army probably took the hint seriously, considering enormous PR-value of him. When Lauri's National Team command starts, there is ZERO chance they would do what they warned for in the first place: over-encumbering their brightest star during training and pre-tournament matches. Lauri's NT duty is probably supervised in this respect very closely by the coaching staff of Team Finland.

Of course, random odd injuries can happen to anybody, any time, including NBA Training camp and NBA itself, but nothing in the Wolfpack's tournament preparations or tournament itself scream someway particularly high risk environment for injuries.
 
Few recent clarifying news articles on the topic (In Finnish):

www.is.fi

Lauri Markkanen paljasti Hanno Möttölälle yllättävän asian armeija-arjestaan

Susijengin valmennusjohto uskoo Markkasen pystyvän kehittymään armeijassa.
www.is.fi www.is.fi
www.iltalehti.fi

Susijengin askelmerkit MM-turnaukseen selvillä: Lauri Markkasen varusmiespalvelus ei tuota ongelmaa

Susijengi pääsee Okinawan saarelle MM-kisoihin.
www.iltalehti.fi www.iltalehti.fi
www.is.fi

Lauri Markkanen paljasti, miten on käyttänyt vapaa-aikaansa kasarmilla

Koripallotähti on seurattu mies.
www.is.fi www.is.fi

Google translation probably give a glimpse, of sort. :p
These are articles from 2 leading "yellow press" newspapers, but the tone is serious, and there is no way they would fabricate interviews of Tuovi, Markkanen, Möttölä, etc. in this matter for easy clicks and BS sensationalism. Lauri is above that level.

Note that the level of co-ordination between the army and NT Head Coach Lassi Tuovi is such deep that it's up to Tuovi, when exactly Lauri's NT command starts.

.
39-100411863178ccf92944

Photo courtesy: EPA-EFE / All Over Press (via YLE: https://yle.fi/a/74-20029613)
 
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