Can Lauri Markkanen’s injury be a blessing in disguise for developing former Chicago Bulls two-way player Antonio Blakeney?
The Chicago Bulls have had some unfortunate setbacks with the recent injury of stellar big man and key core player, Lauri Markkanen before the beginning of the preseason.
While many believe it will be a huge setbacks for the team, it may not be that huge of one in what’s now an even weaker Eastern Conference due to the departure of LeBron James. It may actually be a blessing in disguise for this young Bulls team.
As it will allow a lot of the Bulls young players that otherwise wouldn’t have got big minutes with Markkanen healthy to get their feet a little more wet and with a bit more experience.
Such as rookie big man Wendell Carter Jr. and even somewhat more experienced, yet still young players like Antonio Blakeney and of course Bobby Portis.
While many will talk about how much it can open up more playing time and opportunity for Portis to really show out with what he’s capable of in much the same way that Nikola Mirotic’s unfortunate early season injury did last year.
Don’t rule it out being an even bigger opportunity for Blakeney to really show what he’s capable of.
The often overlooked and still developing shooting guard is a very explosive energy guy that could really help the Bulls offensively off the bench. Not only with his shooting, but ability to pass and get the ball to the open man when needed as well.
Granted it has only been a small sample size in three preseason games, but Blakeney has been one of the more consistent performers for the team so far.
For a player who was once regarded as only a shooter with blinders, he has played an effective all around game. He was surprisingly the only Bulls player with a plus rating on the court in game against the Bucks.
Mostly known for becoming something of a G-League legend last season when he averaged 32 points per game and showed he was too good for that league.
Blakeney has really shown the signs of a still developing player that could become a great combination electric sixth man scorer with the explosive moves and shot he can develop for himself.
Ironically enough not being known as a great passer before and thought that he would be only a good or great shooter, Blakeney made two of the Bulls best plays among only a few good ones in that Milwaukee game with both his passing.
Which was twice him driving into the lane and going up for his shoot, right before then passing to Carter both times for easy scores.
Both plays drawing gasps from the crowd for not only being made in the air like that after committing to a shot, but that they were made by Blakeney and not somebody else.
Blakeney will most likely never be that great of a defender and why the Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams perfectly describe the type of player he’s already developing into. Another former Bulls great sixth man combination type player, Ben Gordon, is another great comparison.
While Blakeney has shown great signs of improving other parts of his offensive game he previously hadn’t, three-point shooting is still something he needs to work on developing more if he really truly wants to reach that type of level of those players mentioned.
Markkanen’s injury freeing up a bit more minutes for him to possibly do so being a possible blessing in disguise if he can really develop into that type of player.