One of the most disappointing starts to the regular season for the Chicago Bulls is coming from 7-foot power forward Lauri Markkanen.
The Nov. 3 road loss to the Indiana Pacers was yet another letdown for the Chicago Bulls. In particular, power forward Lauri Markkanen didn’t come with his best game in what amounted to an 11 point night in the Bulls 13-point loss to their Central Division foe.
Markkanen finished the night going just 3-of-9 from the field and 1-of-4 from three-point range. A solid six rebounds was offset by zero assists and two turnovers. He was also a -9 when he was on the floor compared to a -3 for the likes of center Wendell Carter Jr.
With how Carter Jr. is playing for the Bulls through seven games this season, it’s a huge letdown that Markkanen is having such a difficult time finding his footing. In this matchup against the Pacers, Carter Jr. finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists while shooting 9-of-10 from the field.
Markkanen didn’t have any particular games where he stood out in a big way since his 35 point and 17 rebound performance in the regular season opener against the Charlotte Hornets. But even that amounted to a devastating 126-125 loss on the road at the Spectrum Center back on Oct. 23.
Moreover, Markkanen hasn’t shot at or better than 50 percent from the field or three-point range in any of the last six games. He also hasn’t registered more than 16 points but once in the last six games. What he did do during that span of games was turn the ball over at least four times on two occasions and shoot 33 percent or worse from the field four times.
This up and down play from Markkanen is a trend that goes back to last season. He was red hot, as were the Bulls, throughout the month of February. But his play throughout the rest of last season did leave something to be desired.
On the surface, Markkanen’s stats can be a bit deceiving this season. One game wonders are boosting his overall per game averages. And his height and mobility allow him to pull in more rebounds and steals than most other power forwards would on a nightly basis. But the shooting trends and the overall offensive production just isn’t where it needs to be right now.
When Markkanen is down like this, the Bulls will suffer. Against a very injured team like the Pacers on Nov. 3, the Bulls should’ve been able to lock up a big road win to extend their winning streak to two games for the first time this season. Instead, the Bulls found themselves falling short against a team that hard JaKarr Sampson starting at the four.
If the Bulls are to get any better through a tough slate in the month of November, Markkanen will need to find more consistency on offense. His scoring isn’t reliable and his shooting is suffering. This isn’t a good sign for the Bulls heading into a gauntlet in the next five games which features the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks (on the road), Houston Rockets, and Milwaukee Bucks (on the road).