Before the start of the NBA season, ESPN’s reporters need to submit predictions for the year. And to the chagrin of colleague, Nick Friedell’s was that Lauri Markkanen would flourish in Utah. Friedell turned out to be right.
“Lauri Markkanen is a reminder that in the right situation for a younger player who is still finding their way in the league that while progress doesn’t always look the same three or four years in, once you get to the right place and you’re with the teammates and with the right staff, you can still hit a different level in your own game,” Friedell explained. “That part has been interesting to watch because, JP, there are a lot of Bulls execs from days gone by saying ‘Hey we knew this. We knew it was possible.’ It didn’t happen for him in Chicago. It didn’t happen for him Cleveland. But it sure as heck happening in Salt Lake City.”
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