The Utah Jazz acquired Lauri Markkanen from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a blockbuster trade for Donovan Mitchell last September. Forty-four games into the 2022-2023 season with Utah he has become a standout player amongst the group that came over from Cleveland with him. Lauri is averaging 24.5 points per game and 8.5 rebounds. He is also shooting 52% from the field and making 41% of his three-pointers. He joins Larry Bird and Dirk Nowitzki as the only players to average 24/8 on those shooting percentages. He is on pace to become a first time NBA All Star this season. Not only has he helped Utah become surprisingly competitive, but he has also significantly improved his numbers from last season playing with Cleveland.
Lauri came into the NBA as a young stretch big for the Chicago Bulls, then couldn’t find his role because he was forced to play the paint, a similar problem Nikola Vucevic is facing who is the current center for the Chicago Bulls.
His rookie season in Chicago, he averaged 15.2 points per game and averaged 7 rebounds and never averaged below 14 points per game during his four years with the Chicago Bulls.
Falling out of the rotation with Chicago after a few years caused Lauri to be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In Cleveland, He came off the bench, but also started some games and was presented a real opportunity which led to some big shooting nights in for him, transitioning more from a stretch big to a perimeter player. Lauri averaged 14.8 points in Cleveland after he was traded and shot the ball at a 44% clip from the field as well as 35% from three-point range. The talent was always there for him.
Once Lauri Markkanen got traded to Cleveland in 2021, he was able to play on the perimeter, thanks to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley controlling the paint. That lone year with Cleveland was where Lauri’s confidence begins to emerge.
The development that Cleveland did with Lauri Markkanen overall made him stronger. This helped him play the game at a high-level. He now leads a starless Utah jazz team after Utah traded away both of their All-Stars. Salt Lake City needed hope and Lauri Markkanen became that player. He has been having himself a year averaging 24.5 points per game in 8.5 rebounds.
Lauri Markkanen has shown consistency, particularly in tough, clutch situations. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by the difficulty of the situation. He just moves forward. A big moment for him was dunking on former Utah Jazz star and three-time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert when the Utah Jazz visited the Minnesota Timberwolves early in the season. He also made a statement dunk on Nikola Vucevic a couple weeks ago against the Chicago Bulls on the road.
What stands out now about Lauri Markkanen is he is on the verge of entering his first NBA All-Star game which is being hosted by the team he plays for in Salt Lake City. He is now the face of the Utah Jazz. All the hard work has paid off & his experience overtime has given him the utmost confidence. He scored a career high 49 points this season in his new role and has started every game. This is the player people thought he would be after his rookie season.
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