Players causing the second half collapses No. 2: Lauri Markkanen
Not to say that the fourth-year seven-footer and former Arizona Wildcats power forward Lauri Markkanen was a negative presence for the Bulls since returning from his shoulder injury after the All-Star Break, but his return hasn’t led to much success in the win column. The Bulls are more than 10 games under .500 when Markkanen is in the rotation this season.
Compare that to the record that the Bulls have on the season in total, at 18-22 following their heartbreaking collapse of a loss in overtime to the Nuggets back on March 19, and you reach a puzzling conclusion. Markkanen has mostly looked like a net positive player in terms of productivity when he is healthy for the Bulls this season. But the results in the win column definitely aren’t following suit.
An off night for Markkanen in general did help contribute to the Bulls loss to superstar big man Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on the road entering this weekend. Markkanen registered just 10 points in each of the last two games. But it was Markkanen posting just two rebounds and one assist while shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc in the loss to the Nuggets that was really poor.
The stat line for Markkanen as a whole this season still looks solid. But considering he currently sits in the midst of the final year of his rookie contract, he’s definitely on the hot seat with the Bulls new front office regime. At this point, it would be hard to believe that Karnisovas and the Bulls are planning on giving Markkanen too lofty of an extension come next offseason.