Lauri Markkanen
Most of you might say “No Zach LaVine on this list?“
Well, no. LaVine has proven that he’s a prolific scorer and clutch performer. One way or another he’s going to get his and most likely lead this team in scoring again. Labeled as the teams best player he’ll be a big part of their success. But, the most important player on the roster is Lauri Markkanen.
Markannen had two substantial injuries that limited him to 52 games. Before the season began he was ruled out 6-8 weeks with a right elbow strain. And as the season wrapped up, his ended early due to a rapid heart rate from fatigue.
Much like Carter Jr., his health will play an important factor in Chicago’s success. Coming off a season averaging 18.7 points and nine rebounds with little-to-no plays drawn up for himself was an extremely difficult task that Markkanen made look easy. It took Boylen time to realize that Markkanen’s contribution to the team has the largest impact.
After this obvious realization, Boylen designed an offense that got Lauri an average of 18 shot attempts per game in the month of February. This resulted in the best stretch of basketball for the Finnish big and the best stretch for the Bulls. In the month of February, Lauri tallied 12 straight double-doubles and eight 20 and 10 games while shooting 49 percent.
His ability to stretch the floor as a 7-footer makes him a valuable player in today’s NBA. During the summer Markkanen has been very active in his strength training and added weight that will benefit his post-game tremendously. With an already deadly 3-point shot the big man has all the tools he needs to succeed.
Expect the third-year pro to average 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds and to be selected in the All-Star game in a weak East. Everything is there for Markkanen but it all comes down to his ability to stay healthy. If that’s the case, then this will be an exciting year for the Chicago Bulls.