WINNER: Lauri Markkanen
What a great night to be Lauri Legend. In an increasing effort to make Lauri Markkanen a central figure of this offense, the Bulls found two pieces that’ll give him a lot more space. With last night’s draft results, there’s going to be a lot more space for the 7-footer to operate around the floor, mainly from three-point range.
Last season, the Bulls offense found itself at its most watchable and workable when Markkanen had space to shoot three-pointers. He’s a sharpshooter and if teams have to pay greater attention to other Bulls scorers, he’s going to have a lot more open looks.
Transitioning Markkanen into the primary option of the Bulls offense should be a focus. He has the highest ceiling of any player on this roster and the addition of White alone give him more favorable looks on the offensive end.
Defenders have to pay close attention to Gafford within ten feet. While his jump shot isn’t currently effective, he’s got great touch around the rim. He shot at a 66% rate last season, mainly on touches around the rim. He’s a powerful dunker and aggressive around the rim, creating offensive rebounds and put-backs.
Markkanen couldn’t have asked for a better couple of players to join the Chicago roster in this draft. They’ve got a lot more flexibility on the offensive end, which allows them to get Markkanen more open looks as its key result.