Lauri Markkanen is back in the Three-Point contest.
Announced on Thursday, Markkanen will participate in the event as part of All-Star Saturday Night at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.
This will be the second consecutive season with Markkanen participating in the event. The second-to-last shooter in last year's competition, he tied with Boston's Jayson Tatum for the last spot in the finals with 20 points — but that was before Portland's Damian Lillard stepped up. Lillard knocked Markkanen and Tatum out before eventually winning the event.
Markkanen's inclusion in an event featuring some of the long-distance shooters in the game is warranted.
Against Denver on Oct. 30, Markkanen became the NBA's all-time leader for most career games by a 7-footer with at least five made threes. He's done so 43 times in his career and 22 times in a Jazz uniform — 10 times this season, including back-to-back games in Utah's victories over Milwaukee and Oklahoma City earlier this week where he closed out both teams with clutch buckets in the final minutes.
"That's an example of growth from Lauri, because that's not something that he's done a lot," head coach Will Hardy said. "It's something he's worked on a ton. … I think he's recognizing how teams are guarding him and understanding that every night it may be something a little bit different for him. We're fortunate that he has the skill set to do that."
A breakout star last year when he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player, Markkanen has continued his meteoric rise this season.
He's proving that last year was no fluke by averaging 23.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. Despite dealing with injuries early in the season and being the focal point of every opponent's scouting report, Markkanen is shooting 50.1% from the floor, 40.7% from three, and 88.2% from the free throw line. He has posted a team-leading 17 double-doubles this season and has scored in double digits in every game of his Jazz career — including a personal record of 113 straight games.
"It's a lot of work, but I think just getting more and more comfortable getting those reps in, and kind of see where my spots are and go from there," Markkanen said. "I think that there's a lot of room to grow, but I think I made some steps in the right direction, as well. … That's credit to all the coaches pushing me every day."
It's been a remarkable 12 months for Markkanen. Apart from the NBA accolades already mentioned, Markkanen was named the Western Conference's Player of the Week for games played from Monday, Jan. 8, through Sunday, Jan. 14. It is the first time Markkanen had received the award throughout his seven-year career and the first time a Jazz player has won the award this season. He was also named Finland's 2023 Athlete of the Year in January, becoming the first basketball player to receive the award and the fifth team sport athlete to win.
"It was really cool," Markkanen said about winning. "It's a really prestigious award in Finnish sports. Not a lot of team sport athletes have gotten it. … Just knowing what kind of athletes from across all the sports that Finland produces, just being on the list makes it more meaningful."
Markkanen now has eyes set on two more first-time possibilities this season. He has yet to play in a postseason game, and with the Jazz currently in the final spot of the play-in tournament, that moment could be coming shortly. He's also in contention to make an All-NBA team, a possibility that becomes more real every time he steps onto the court.
"There are a lot of conversations between Lauri and myself about what he likes best vs. what I see on the film and when I watch him. … It's a dialogue we're gonna keep having,” Hardy said.