2) Chicago Bulls players bound to disappoint in second half
Lauri Markkanen, Power Forward
Another player that came out of the gates stronger this season than he was playing in the last four or six weeks is the fourth-year seven-footer and power forward Lauri Markkanen. This 23-year-old former Arizona Wildcats big man still has an overall solid stat line for the Bulls this season, in the time that he’s actually remained healthy.
Markkanen has missed about the last month of game action due to a shoulder injury. And while the Bulls look to get him back after the All-Star Break, there’s always some level of concern regarding his track record of injury issues. Markkanen hasn’t really come close to playing in a full season in his four years in the NBA to date.
With this being a contract year for Markkanen (the final year of his rookie contract), he has taken his game to a new level. But it’s not the effectiveness of Markkanen when he’s healthy that’s the problem for the Bulls moving forward. It’s the ability for him to actually stay healthy and productive on a consistent basis. That’s still something that he hasn’t shown us so far.
When the Bulls do get Markkanen back in the rotation, it should be a sizable boost to the starting frontcourt. In the slightly over a dozen games he has played in this season for the Bulls, he’s averaged 19.1 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks. And Markkanen shot a very solid 51.4 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 84.4 percent from the free-throw line.
With how well Markkanen played when healthy in the first half of the season, combined with the injury concerns, there’s ample reason to believe his play could disappoint in the second half.