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Lauri Markkanen scores a three-pointer in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 16.
The immediate prospects weren’t great for Lauri Markkanen when he was introduced to Thaddeus Young, but he has taken on his new role and is thriving.
Markkanen is making a huge contribution now that he has moved into his new place in the rotation of head coach Billy Donovan.
In his five games off the bench this season, Lauri Markkanen scored 11.8 points at 62 percent from the field and 53 percent from three.
He is not the only Bulls player to go through a role change. Second year security guard, Coby White, was also put on the bench in place of Tomas Satoransky.
Markkanen told reporters (via NBC Sports) that the entire team, not just these two, had to face the close of trade rescheduling Had to make sacrifices:
We all have to make sacrifices – not just me, Coby. I think everyone made sacrifices with the new guys and the way we play.
It’s a little different just reading the matchups. When I have a shorter guy with me, I think I’ll post more now and that’s partly just the emphasis on just being physical. I’m just trying to be aggressive whoever it is.
His 18-point performance against the Toronto Raptors was praised by opposing coach Nick Nurse, Coach of the Year 2020:
Every time he touched the ball, something good happened. And every time we made a mistake, he made us pay and he’s only out there for 18 minutes. That’s part of the reason they got to play him there I think.
Not only did Markkanen’s role in rotation change, he was moved up and played more minutes with a little striker. It’s the first time in his career that he’s playing outside the forecourt and he’s still adapting.
The fact that it comes at the same time as Lauri Markkanen’s bank breakout is no accident.
The Bulls are now 22-28 which is good for the 10th seed in the east, two games back from the New York Knicks with the eighth seed.
That is good for the fifth worst brand of all teams with a rate of more than one percent.
But you have the option to run a run here and in the next game span.
After playing a understaffed Atlanta Hawks team on Friday night, next week they’ll play the worst Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic, with the streaky Memphis Grizzlies in between.
Tankathon.com has ranked the Chicago Bulls’ remaining schedule as the 14th toughest in the NBA.
Ref: https://heavy.com
