Petteri Koponen estimates that the previous season’s playing position has brought additional speed to the Finnish star’s movement. The season will show whether Utah will bet on wins or next summer’s reservation numbers.
Lauri Markkanen starred Utah Jazz has had a flying start to the NBA season. The team, which has been called the throwing bag of the series, has won all three of its matches against clearly tougher opponents than in advance and is playing at the forefront of the Western Conference.
The night before Monday, Utah beat the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime, 122-121. Markkanen was the most efficient of the match with his 31 points and also grabbed the most rebounds, 12 pieces.
– Lauri Markkanen has looked like a star in Utah’s first matches, local media Deseret News glowed on Monday (you switch to another service).
Team-mate Malik Beasley described Markkas as a “cool guy” who does something new in every match.
– His throws, drives to the basket, dunks and moves, he does everything for the team.
Markkanen himself said after the match that he had adapted well to Utah.
– I have tried to be active and aggressive both in defense and attack. This is a good start, but we need to keep improving.
The pace of the European Championship continues
In August, he ended his long basketball career at the European Championships Petteri Koponen was with Markkanen and Susijeng when the news of Markkanen’s transfer from Cleveland to Utah arrived. According to Koponen, after the initial shock, Markkanen turned the move into an asset and decided to show Cleveland what the team lost.
Suomalaištahti collected a point average of 27.9 from the EC tournament. Only the superstar remained Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.3).
The fireworks of the European Championships have continued in the NBA. Utah head coach Will Hardy has given Markkanen the opportunity to show what the Finnish star who excelled in the Games is really capable of. There has been enough playing time and versatile responsibility.
– Lauri has shown what he is capable of when he is used correctly and given opportunities to do more on the field than being a corner kicker. In the national team, we have known his potential, Koponen told Urheilu.
– This is a continuation of the summer. Lauri has more to offer than what he has shown before. We need his versatility. For a coach, a player like that who can adapt to every role is a luxury, in his first NBA head coaching job in the summer, he started Hardy, 34, said (switching to another service).
Markkanen has played three games in the early season with an average of exactly 24 points and 9.7 rebounds. The Finn’s best scoring average is from the 2018–19 season, when Markkanen averaged 18.7 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 52 games in a Chicago Bulls shirt.
According to Koponen, Markkanen is skilled and quick to move for a player of his size. He has an excellent combination of size, movement and throwing and playmaking skills.
– Even if we talk about the NBA, there aren’t too many big players like that. It seems that Lauri has found his own strength and knows how to use it. He gets into more versatile situations than before.
Last season, Markkanen played in Cleveland in the role of a small winger. According to Koponen, the features required by the new venue are now visible in Markkanen’s performance.
– He had to defend slightly faster guys night after night. Surely that has also helped in the fact that business has been better this year.
Winnings or reservation numbers?
According to Koponen, Utah has proved the speculations at the beginning of the season wrong. The team that relies on fast-paced “run and gun” basketball plays with a lot of heart and can challenge anyone.
– There is a young coach who has got the job done. The players move well. The guys seem to have a good time with each other, they enjoy playing and doing chores together. Lauri gets the ball more and his playing is versatile.
According to Koponen, it is too early to say where Utah and Markkanen will reach this season. It has been speculated that Utah even avoided winning before the season, so that it would have a good chance at the next booking event.
– In the NBA, business is contradictory. It may be that the club management is a little surprised that this was not supposed to go like this. But players never lose games. Everyone wants to look their best.
Big minutes
Markkanen has spent an average of just over 37 minutes per game on the floor in a Utah shirt. It is the 17th highest score in the entire series in the early season and the second best among the big wing forwards in Markkanen’s position, the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler’s after. Phoenix’s defender has been on the field the longest Devon Bookeran average of 40 minutes per game.
Last season in Cleveland, Markkanen spent an average of just under 31 minutes on the field. Toiling in the field has its risks. According to Koposen, Markkanen, who has suffered from injuries in his career, takes care of his body as well as possible.
– There’s always nothing you can do about injuries. But of course we hope that Lauri stays healthy and can play a full season.
Utah will next face the Houston Rockets, who started their season with three losses, on the night before Tuesday.
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