Chicago Bulls: 3 areas where Lauri Markkanen needs to improve the most

3. Get back to meshing better with the core of the frontcourt rotation

Actually two of the players that Markkanen fared better with in a two-man combination this season were the rookie former Arkansas Razorbacks center Daniel Gafford and second-year center Wendell Carter Jr. The good news there is that Gafford, Carter Jr., and Markkanen are clearly the three most promising big men in the Bulls rotation entering the offseason.

When he was on the floor with Gafford, Markkanen shot around 10.0 percent better from beyond the arc and was around four percent better with his effective field goal percentage than his usual per game averages. With Carter Jr., he was around his usual per game averages and shooting percentages,

With the three-man combination of shooting guard Zach LaVine, Carter Jr., along with Markkanen, he averaged around the same number of points per game. But he was rebounding more effectively and hitting his looks from three-point range more efficiently. The same could be said when you swap LaVine with point guard Kris Dunn.

A lot of the blame here can’t be placed on Markkanen, but the way he was used by current head coach Jim Boylen. This is a problem that can be fixed by finding a new head coach this offseason, and by Markkanen speaking out on what is best for his game. He needs to find that confidence he had down the stretch during the 2018-19 campaign.

The point here is that Markkanen needs to get more time on the floor in combination with the likes of Carter Jr., Gafford, LaVine, Dunn, etc., instead of other players like veteran forward Thaddeus Young and rookie point guard Coby White. The combination of Markkanen and White might get there eventually, but it isn’t yet.

And there is a good possibility that the Bulls shipping Young out of the Windy City would do good both for the team and for the individual player.