Chicago Bulls: Projecting early 2019-20 season starting five

Most of the Chicago Bulls fan base had to be hoping for more improvement than we actually saw on the hardwood out of second-year Finnish power forward Lauri Markkanen this past season. Markkanen got hot at times, mainly when he first returned to the lineup in December and in the month of February, but most of his numbers were similar to his rookie campaign.

However, the good news for Markkanen and the Bulls alike is that he will just be 22-years-old when he enters his third-year in the NBA. Markkanen did also show some improvement in key areas that should give fans enough hope that he can make a big jump next year. Registering a player efficiency rating roughly one point higher than his rookie campaign is one good example.

Markkanen needs to show more consistency in his shooting from the field in all four quarters. His free-throw shooting also left a little to be desired this past season. He shot slightly over 36 percent from beyond the arc, and just 43 percent from the field. Spacing the floor has to be a big part of Markkanen’s game given his “unicorn-like” skill set and insane measurables.

If he reaches his ceiling, then Markkanen could be a similar player to what we saw out of Kristaps Porzingis during his best seasons with the New York Knicks of late. It would be almost too much to contain for the opposition, mainly in the Central Division, if Markkanen takes another step forward and shoots around 38 percent from three and 45 percent from the field.