Chicago Bulls: Injuries should concern Markkanen ahead of free agency

On the night of Feb. 8, it was first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls that fell short once again as they continue to move in the wrong direction of the Eastern Conference standings. Donovan and the Bulls have now lost six of their last eight games following their Feb. 8 loss at home at the United Center at the hands of the Washington Wizards, by the final score of 105-101.

The Bulls now carry a record of 9-14 following their home loss to the Wizards. It’s now the injuries starting to pile up for the Bulls that is starting to partly cause a problem for their lack of success in the win column. This team is down a lot of depth all over the place in the rotation thanks to rampant injury issues of late.

One of the most significant Bulls players that is going to continue to miss a good bit of time this month is fourth-year seven-footer and power forward Lauri Markkanen. The 23-year-old big man got off to a really nice start this season, just to come to the same result he usually finds himself in any campaign in his NBA career to date.

Markkanen still looks to be set to miss a few more weeks with his nagging shoulder injury. The last game he played in came in the Bulls Feb. 5 loss to the Orlando Magic on the road. But that game saw him leave and go to the locker room, which is where we saw that shoulder injury for the first time.

What the Chicago Bulls are missing in Lauri

With Markkanen approaching his first career stint on the free agent market next offseason, the injury problems are not coming about at a good time. It has to be something that will impact his stint on the restricted free agent market. And it’s also a topic that Markkanen doesn’t feel great about, which should be obvious at this point.

He mentioned that the injury problems are “frustrating” and that he’s just worried about being out on the court with his teammates.

While that is a good mindset to take for Markkanen this season, he is missing the fact that it will clearly impact his value in free agency next offseason. He’s playing really well for the Bulls when healthy this season, but that doesn’t look to be something to rely upon the rest of the way.

Markkanen has played in 14 games for the Bulls so far this season (all of which he’s started in), averaging around 30 minutes on the floor per game. And he’s averaged 19.1 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks. Markkanen shot an efficient 51.4 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 84.4 percent from the free-throw line.

That all has amounted to a career-best 0.3 box plus/minus rating, .118 win shares per 48 minutes, 1.0 total win shares, 65.4 true shooting percentage, 116 offensive rating/113 defensive rating, and a 17.2 player efficiency rating.

Since Markkanen is currently in the midst of the final year of his rookie contract, the second half of this regular season slate will be huge for him. But facing injury problems is a reality for him through four years in the NBA to date.

Donovan and the Bulls will next face the star forward duo of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans on the road on the night of Feb. 10. They will try to keep a losing streak from moving to two games later this week against the Pelicans.