4:. Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls
One other name that didn’t exactly break out last season, mostly due to injury, was Lauri Markkanen, the talented Chicago Bulls big man. He only played in 52 games during his sophomore season due to battling a myriad of injuries.
Despite that, the second-year big man still put up around 19 points and nine boards per contest – great numbers for a non-breakout season, I know, but I expect him to be even better next season. That’s how great of a talent that Markkanen is, which should make Bulls fans excited.
He can score in just about every way imaginable and his playstyle fits perfectly with the modern NBA big. He’s the new face of Chicago’s young core, and the team’s future success will largely depend on his ability to improve as a basketball player.
Given a full season as the primary focal point of Chicago’s offense, there’s no question that the stage is set for Markkanen to have a great season in 2019-20.
Assuming health, I expect Lauri Markkanen to crack the 20-point threshold during his third season while helping the Bulls compete for a lower-tier playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.