Power ranking Chicago Bulls players through the first 30 games
By Luke Askew
3. Lauri Markkanen
Previous ranking: 3
Lauri Markkanen didn’t jump anyone in these power rankings, but that doesn’t mean his growth has been stagnant. He finally looks like the guy Bulls fans remember. A troubling start to the season had lots of Bulls fans (including myself) worried about Markkanen, but those concerns are quickly fading.
In December, Markkanen is averaging 17.9 points per game on 51.2 percent shooting from the field and 41.1 percent shooting from three-point range. The biggest key to his recent success? His aggression around the rim. When Lauri falls into the trap of being purely a spot-up shooter, his overall game takes a hit. When he’s attacking the basket, he’s a dominant player.
Yes, shooting is Markkanen’s best skill, but it’s a lot easier to shoot deep shots when you have your inside game going, and Lauri seems to have finally figured that out. He’s still the third-best player on the Bulls, but the gap between no. 2 and no. 3 is smaller than it was for the first 20 games of the season.