Only the shock transfer to the Utah Jazz has made Lauri Markkase emerge as a true all-rounder, writes HS reporter Tommi Hannula.
Washington
Ahead have seen Lauri at his best, said the coach too.
It’s true, the loss in Washington early on Sunday Finnish time left a bit of a sour taste for both the Utah Jazz and Lauri from Markkase. But it was mostly due to the high expectations the NBA autumn comet team and its 25-year-old Finnish star have managed to create for themselves.
Despite the breaking of the winning streak and Markkanen’s own groping, there was something very fascinating in his game again, different from previous seasons.
He did everything, at both ends of the pitch. When he couldn’t get to the basket in the first half, and even though the team’s defense was a mess at times, he made spectacular blocks. When there was a momentary lull in the attack, he again showed the new versatility of his throwing game and even escaped twice to dunk.
In the first one In his NBA team, the Chicago Bulls, Markkanen was above all a deterrent from the three-point line, and that’s also where the ball was sought for him, especially in the last of his three seasons in Chicago. Even last season in Cleveland, his game developed more holistically as part of the Cavaliers’ exceptional big three.
Things went well in Cleveland. Still, only the shock transfer to the Utah Jazz has made Markkanes hatch a true all-rounder.
All have noticed that his scoring average is by far the best of his NBA career, now 22.3 per game. But he also blocks, dunks, grabs rebounds and gives decisive assists more than before. And above all: for the first time in many seasons, he shoots more two-pointers than three-pointers, and with a really good percentage.
Even by Markkanen’s standards, a quiet performance brought 17 points against Washington, almost as if by accident. The fact that the performance could be considered a disappointment from his point of view says a lot about his new normal level.