Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen
Zach LaVine has close watched Lauri Markkanen working on his game to compete against the other big men in the modern-day NBA. Leading his newly-shaped Utah Jazz to a terrific start in the 2022-23 campaign, it seems like the Finnish star is undoubtedly becoming the lone wolf for his side. Jazz’ latest loss came at the hands of the Bulls (Lauri’s former team) on Saturday.
Although the Bulls won 126-118, LaVine could not walk away without giving a major All-Star shoutout to Lauri Markkanen who has just been phenomenal for the Utah Jazz. For those who are not aware, Markkanen is averaging 24.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this 2022-23, helping the Jazz stay in the playoff race despite Utah Jazz recent offensive struggles.
“He’s 100 percent an All-Star to me,” Zach LaVine said of his former Bulls teammate, per KC Johnson of NBC Sports.
For those who are not aware of the first round of All-Star voting, Lauri Markkanen did leave his mark on the fans. He is seventh among other frontcourt players, trailing the likes of LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, and Zion Williamson. That being said, as we approach the halfway mark, things are absolutely going to get tougher for Lauri as the Utah Jazz are finding it tough to register wins. Sooner rather than later, it will affect the performance of the Finnish sensation.
Talking about the particular game, Jazz did try hard to bring the game close after outscoring the Bulls 40-31 in the third quarter, but once again they simply couldn’t cope in the latter stages as the home team came back 42-29 to win the game via a points differential of 8.
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