Chicago Bulls: 3 things I liked from media day

2. The Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine presser

Some of this press conference was a throwaway. A lot of time was spent asking Zach LaVine whether or not he wants to participate in the 2020 Dunk Contest, which clearly has no measurable impact on the team’s success. But a lot of what LaVine and Lauri Markkanen said put a hopeful smile on my face.

Both guys mentioned health and durability are big for them this season. They clearly want to play all 82 games, which is refreshing in the age of rest and load management.

Both guys also clearly want to make big leaps in their careers. They both have their sights on the All-Star Game and the playoffs – two great things to work toward.

My favorite moment from the presser, though, was when Lauri was asked if there were concerns about his health and Zach chimed in and answered the question himself with a simple “Nah, he’s good to go.”