Lauri Markkanen Thread: PG. 13 - KC: Bulls Extend QO to Lauri

[sco]

Lauri said in his latest interview that he will stay in his hometown in Finland until his team for next season is decided. Well, good for him, his frisbeegolf skills and family relationships. Don’t know about basketball tho..

Because you can't play basketball in Finland?

Trap! {insert snarky comment here}

[GoBlue72391]

Lauri said in his latest interview that he will stay in his hometown in Finland until his team for next season is decided. Well, good for him, his frisbeegolf skills and family relationships. Don’t know about basketball tho..

Because you can't play basketball in Finland?

I've seen him post on his stories playing basketball a few times over the past week or so.

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[Andi Obst]

Because you can't play basketball in Finland?

I've seen him post on his stories playing basketball a few times over the past week or so.

Impossible. This board has taught me Lauri doesn't practice when he's at home, he's only chilling, trying to be a good dad/husband and it somehow makes him softer.

[Juso]

At least he looks to be very fit (a lot of muscles but slim) and joking about what is more fun than running suicides on a warm summer day. This the cultural difference: modest people (the Finns think being modest is a virtue) are working hard not telling it in public and the Americans think they are lazy and just content on he paycheck because one is not advertizing all the time what they do. Knowing the history all the way from the childhood why would he take the easy living now?

[Swuul]

Lauri said in his latest interview that he will stay in his hometown in Finland until his team for next season is decided. Well, good for him, his frisbeegolf skills and family relationships. Don’t know about basketball tho..

What he actually said:
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fi&tl=en&u=https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-12011417

-this summer he and his family will stay in Finland until he knows his next team, ie likely for around four weeks. Last year he and the family was in Finland for two weeks in June, and then from end of June back home in Chicago until December when season finally began

-during the five months last year (June to December) he was focusing on gaining muscles (as per the Bulls training program he was following), this summer he has not followed Bulls training program anymore but he has a training program spesifically made to him by professional trainers (in USA) not affiliated with any given team, and thus been focusing on gaining speed and agility (and also actually playing hoops daily); during his time in Finland he will do this mostly indoors even though for once the weather in Finland is nice

-he hopes he can find time to play a round or two of Disc Golf with his old friends.

[PaKii94]

Lauri said in his latest interview that he will stay in his hometown in Finland until his team for next season is decided. Well, good for him, his frisbeegolf skills and family relationships. Don’t know about basketball tho..

What he actually said:
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fi&tl=en&u=https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-12011417

-
-during the five months last year (June to December) he was focusing on gaining muscles (as per the Bulls training program he was following), this summer he has not followed Bulls training program anymore but he has a training program spesifically made to him by professional trainers (in USA) not affiliated with any given team, and thus been focusing on gaining speed and agility (and also actually playing hoops daily); during his time in Finland he will do this mostly indoors even though for once the weather in Finland is nice

-he hopes he can find time to play a round or two of Disc Golf with his old friends.

F**king morons tried to turn him into a C

[Leslie Forman]

F**king morons tried to turn him into a C

Yes, if there's one thing I'm learning from watching the playoffs, it's that a slow yet also weak 7-footer is absolutely the perfect guy to have as your 4.

[TheJordanRule]

F**king morons tried to turn him into a C

Yes, if there's one thing I'm learning from watching the playoffs, it's that a slow yet also weak 7-footer is absolutely the perfect guy to have as your 4.

As opposed to what? He projects as even weaker at Center with bigger defensive warts and rebounding issues. Ayton and Lopez would eat him alive, and they're not even the premier players at that position.

[PaKii94]

F**king morons tried to turn him into a C

Yes, if there's one thing I'm learning from watching the playoffs, it's that a slow yet also weak 7-footer is absolutely the perfect guy to have as your 4.

His agility was fine coming in. Rim protection was his weakness. And that was due to length. He did need to increase his strength not his bulk

[Michael Jackson]

Because you can't play basketball in Finland?

I've seen him post on his stories playing basketball a few times over the past week or so.

Impossible. This board has taught me Lauri doesn't practice when he's at home, he's only chilling, trying to be a good dad/husband and it somehow makes him softer.

It's absolutely insane to think that any professional basketball player is not working on his game at all when Millions of dollars are on the line. Some work harder for sure, some are more adept and growing their game, but every last one of them is working on something aside from the cases of Felicia who really was getting a contract he never thought he would and is able to live off of that. Its a fun thing we do here about professional athletes, we all pretend that we work harder than them and travel more and make more sacrifices than they do. It's easy because we can say they are playing a game and rich... but the truth is everyone in the NBA works harder than 99% of the majority of the people who post on these boards, who should likely be doing work or homework instead of posting here. Now I am never going to mistake Lauri for having a Kobe Bryant type work ethic or love of the game, but that's different than what is portrayed of him just playing disc golf and raising a family.

[the ultimates]

Every player coming into the NBA adds strength and muscle. They also add strength and muscle WHILE improving their ball handling, passing, shooting, dribbling, post moves, etc. Just because Lauri adding muscle doesn't mean he also shouldn't have been adding other things to his game whether the Bulls asked him to or not.

[GoBlue72391]

Lauri said in his latest interview that he will stay in his hometown in Finland until his team for next season is decided. Well, good for him, his frisbeegolf skills and family relationships. Don’t know about basketball tho..

What he actually said:
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fi&tl=en&u=https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-12011417

-this summer he and his family will stay in Finland until he knows his next team, ie likely for around four weeks. Last year he and the family was in Finland for two weeks in June, and then from end of June back home in Chicago until December when season finally began

-during the five months last year (June to December) he was focusing on gaining muscles (as per the Bulls training program he was following), this summer he has not followed Bulls training program anymore but he has a training program spesifically made to him by professional trainers (in USA) not affiliated with any given team, and thus been focusing on gaining speed and agility (and also actually playing hoops daily); during his time in Finland he will do this mostly indoors even though for once the weather in Finland is nice

-he hopes he can find time to play a round or two of Disc Golf with his old friends.

Well that's great to hear, regardless of whether he's in Chicago or elsewhere next season.

I thought he lost a little speed, explosiveness, and athleticism when he bulked up a couple years ago which hurt his game and the added strength wasn't enough to make up for it. I'm not sure if it's possible to de-bulk and regain that lost athleticism, but I'm glad to see him try. It seems to me that he's a better player closer to 225 than he is to 240.

I think he would be better served to work on his wing skills primarily rather than big man skills, and it seems like that's what he's doing. He should still work on the other stuff too of course, I just personally think they shouldn't be his focus.

[GoBlue72391]

F**king morons tried to turn him into a C

Yes, if there's one thing I'm learning from watching the playoffs, it's that a slow yet also weak 7-footer is absolutely the perfect guy to have as your 4.

I think the point he was making is that he wasn't slow prior to adding weight/muscle. He was very fluid and agile for his size and position earlier in his career. Bulking up is what slowed him down, and it seems like he's trying to correct that. I don't know how feasible that is, but I'm glad he's trying.

I have a lot of complaints towards the Bulls organization's handling of Lauri, but I don't fault them for having him bulk up in the hopes of improving his post game, interior defense, rebounding, and ability to play C in addition to PF. It's what I personally thought was best for him too at the time. I still think C is his clearest path to stardom in the NBA, as he would be a walking mismatch against all but a handful of opposing Cs. Whether he can ever improve his rebounding and interior/help defense enough to make the transition remains to be seen.

Obviously the bulking up hasn't worked out up to this point, so I would like to think if the Bulls org had known doing so would sap some of his athleticism while not adding enough benefits to make up for it that they would have had him follow a different development path. But then again it is the Bulls who were lead by GarPax and Egghead at the time, so who knows.

[Hangtime84]

I've said this multiple times but Lauri should be more durant like if he wants to excel.

Right now seeing Matur Maker handle the rock is better than Lauri

[Juso]

Anyone wanting to see how he looks right now, should show in the US as well. If not ,you need a vpn with service point set to Finland. Lauri part starting from 6:15 . Obviously he has hired some people to help him here as well. The article is based on what he says here, so never mind the weird language.

[Swuul]

F**king morons tried to turn him into a C

According to what I have been told, during spring 2020 (after the season suddenly ended) Bulls thought the best way forwards with their bigs would have been if Lauri and WCJ would be both able to play Center and PF, so that they would be smoothly switch places during matches (and thus make it a nightmare to be defended against). That plan basically crashed down when it turned out WCJ had lost his game completely (as he had been practising shooting for six months, so at the start of the season he was not in shape enough physically plus he still couldn't hit the broadside of a barn) and it was Young who took his place. Young and Lauri then were told to do the fluid swapping of places during matches, but that fizzled (basically, Yound and Lauri were usually just in the way of each other, not supporting each other, as they never really got a chance to practice together when Young took over from WCJ). Then the Vooch trade happened, Lauri was happy as he thought he'd again be playing with another good big man (he really did like to play together with Niko and RoLo), but instead (and to his surprise) he was benched.

[Hangtime84]

F**king morons tried to turn him into a C

According to what I have been told, during spring 2020 (after the season suddenly ended) Bulls thought the best way forwards with their bigs would have been if Lauri and WCJ would be both able to play Center and PF, so that they would be smoothly switch places during matches (and thus make it a nightmare to be defended against). That plan basically crashed down when it turned out WCJ had lost his game completely (as he had been practising shooting for six months, so at the start of the season he was not in shape enough physically plus he still couldn't hit the broadside of a barn) and it was Young who took his place. Young and Lauri then were told to do the fluid swapping of places during matches, but that fizzled (basically, Yound and Lauri were usually just in the way of each other, not supporting each other, as they never really got a chance to practice together when Young took over from WCJ). Then the Vooch trade happened, Lauri was happy as he thought he'd again be playing with another good big man (he really did like to play together with Niko and RoLo), but instead (and to his surprise) he was benched.

Chicago bulls former strength and condition program did him no favors.

For him to play with Vooch we are going to need a power forward that has more defense rotational awareness and speed.

I think he could work his way back into the rotation. I think us resigning Theis can help with that as well. I'm still holding faith in Lauri, but really gonna work on his shooting, ball handling and help defense.

There's no way John Collins should be shooting more consistently than him.

[Senor Chang]

I wouldn't mind if we kept Lauri. Vuc is no spring chicken and has 4-5 good years left in him. In the next couple years as he begins to decline Lauri's game may have matured.

[MrSparkle]

I don’t get how anyone thinks Lauri has a chance to exce in the NBA as a wing. He can’t even handle and pass the ball remotely as well as Bam, Jokic, Embiid, Vuc and other full-time centers… let alone PFs, god forbid SFs. In fact I adamantly believe that while he’s got some of the worst shot-selection/decision-making ever, Bobby Portis is and was an entirely better ball handler and a more confident scorer.

If Lauri’s role is to be a spot-up shooter ala Korver or McDermott, then sure… put him at SF off the bench and play some size mismatches until they don’t work. But coupled with his troubles scoring in the post and his desire to be more of an on-ball midrange/drive scorer, it all doesn’t add up.

But he can shoot and his FG% and efficiency improved more to where they should be. The real goal is getting him more neutral on defense and the glass, which can be done if McDermott’s any indication. As we keep saying, probably not in Chicago and not for the money he wants.

[the ultimates]

People act like Lauri lost athleticism while adding muscle or if he sheds muscle he'll be quicker. I got news for you he'll always be a decent straight-line athlete. He's a decent athlete for a seven-footer but he's not guarded by seven-footers. He's guarded by smaller and quicker players who the vast majority of the time he isn't more athletic than. Again there's plenty of guys in the NBA who add muscle and skills at the same time.