NBA Rookie Ladder: Ben Simmons and an unlikely Laker steal the headlines
By Erez Maman
4. Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls
Stats: 16.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 42% 3-PT
Say hello to the best shooting big man since Dirk Nowitzki. Lets take a quick look at his stats – 16.6 points, 9.3 boards and he’s shooting 42 percent from 3-point range. He has a lot of work to do on defense but he’s played better defense than I expected thus far.
Markkanen does a good job staying in front of players he’s defending, but he still gets bullied in the paint by more phyiscal players. Overall, he makes up for his sub par defense with his contribution on offense.
Believe it or not, he’s actually a better shooter than Kristaps Porzingis (not a better player, just shooter). Lauri and LaVine are the two cornerstones for the Bulls offense, and when the former returns the Bulls can be a pretty fun team to watch.