Jazz's Lauri Markkanen Reveals What He Learned in Up-and-Down Year

Lauri Markkanen is coming off an injury-riddled season with the Utah Jazz, where he saw his production consequently decline. The former All-Star forward averaged 19 points, 1.5 assists, and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 52.5% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc.

Although his numbers were certainly respectable, the Jazz will need more from Markkanen after signing him to a five-year, $238 million contract extension in August of 2024. During his end-of-season media availability, Markkanen discussed what he learned about his offensive skill set and how he plans to expand his game this offseason.

“I think it’s just a continuous progress; like a project, it’s not going to be perfect overnight,” Markkanen said. “I think I learned a lot—where do I want to go get the ball and we worked on a lot with Will [Hardy] and the other assistant coaches. I think obviously it’s not perfect, but I figured some things out and that’s some progress I can kind of take into the summer and keep working at it.”

As Markkanen develops the ability to pick his spots on the offensive side of the ball, his scoring and efficiency will increase. He is already a versatile offensive weapon who can score on all three levels of the floor, and learning exactly where his hot zones are will benefit Utah’s offense immensely.

Hardy deploys a flow offense where players are forced to make the proper reads when attacking defenses. The offensive system caters to Markkanen’s game as he has the natural ability to read and react to opposing defensive coverages.

Markkanen also expressed his excitement to play for the Finnish national team and how live competition over the summer will affect his progression heading into next season.

“We have a big summer with the national team, and I think I’m excited for that because in previous years, those are the years I’ve always felt the best physically and mentally to be honest,” Markkanen said. “You’re getting game reps right before the NBA season starts. That kind of gets me excited for the summer, being able to play for your country and then how that’s going to lead up into the NBA season.”

With a full summer of international competition and a focus on fine-tuning his offensive approach, Markkanen is poised to remind the league why he was worth his contract extension.

The Jazz are hoping Markkanen can be a franchise cornerstone as they continue to develop the young talent around him. When fully healthy, he is the type of player opposing teams must include in their scouting report to slow him down.

Markkanen has offered unwavering commitment to the Jazz organization in the midst of their rebuild and will continue to be a part of Utah’s future plans. If he improves his game this summer, Markkanen will have the potential to return to All-Star form. Jazz fans should remain confident in the star forward as he is in the middle of his basketball prime.

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