SLEPT ON: WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
After last week’s Slept On, I had a couple people ask me what exactly “slept on” means. The Jordan Davidsen Dictionary of Sports defines it as:
“a player in the National Basketball Association who plays a vital part in a team’s success, or provides light in a time of darkness. Someone who’s not covered as frequently as other headlining players. These players can be very important to a team, but not as important to the media.”
So, that answers that, welcome back.
LAURI MARKKANEN IS GETTING SLEPT ON
I know what you’re probably thinking:
Well you will know him, and it will probably happen soon.
Have you ever been at a friend’s house, playing basketball, and you make all the little brothers be on one team, so you can destroy them? Well, the NBA has, only they call it the Chicago Bulls. Chicago’s starting five has three players with NBA siblings, all of which are unarguably less accomplished than their brothers. With Robin Lopez (Brook Lopez’s twin brother), Justin Holiday (Jrue Holiday’s older brother), and Jerian Grant (Jerami Grant’s older brother) all starting for this year’s Bulls squad, there’s no doubt the Chicago Bulls are at the bottom of the eastern conference this year. The Bulls have very few things to look forward to in the next couple years. Other than hopes for draft picks it’s tough to see much from the Bulls. In the middle of the conglomerate Chicago mess stands one bright spot for the Bulls, Lauri Markkanen.
College To The NBA
At the beginning of the 2016-2017 NCAA season, the Arizona Wildcats were missing an important puzzle piece, sophomore guard Allonzo Trier, and they needed somebody to supplement his scoring presence. As a new Finnish freshman standing at 7’, Markkanen stepped in and filled Arizona’s gap.
As an Arizona hotshot, Markkanen was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the seventh pick in the 2017 NBA Draft but was traded to the 
Chicago Bulls as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. He was a mouthwatering sight to NBA scouts, as his talent was easily transferable to the NBA. His ability to rebound over college guys was not affected going into the NBA, as he still averages a solid 8.3 RPG, and his shooting touch is still there, shooting 34% from three, which is very respectable for somebody his size. These skills were the biggest part of his college repertoire and have transferred well to the NBA.
Why He’s Succeeding
In an ever-changing league, one where the three-point shot is becoming more and more important. Markkanen offers exactly what the NBA wants. His 7’ frame and 7’ wingspan are big parts of why he can grab rebounds, but they don’t affect his shooting form, like some of the players in the NBA (*cough* Frank Ntilikina *cough*).
Although his stat-line may be boosted because his only rebound competition is Robin Lopez, another 7-footer with nine NBA years under his belt and only 5.5 RPG (soft), Markkanen’s build g
ives him the opportunity to become a great rebounder in the future, as he improves his vertical. His ability to score inside and outside of the paint will help him conform to the new NBA scoring class and will turn him into an easy 20+ PPG player within the next 3-5 years. His placement on the Chicago Bulls doesn’t hurt either, as the Bulls lack a pure scorer. Chicago has a couple solid future pieces in Justin Holiday, Bobby Portis, and Kris Dunn, but none of them have the potential that Markkanen does.
Lauri Markkanen has put the Bulls in a difficult situation, stuffing their front-court with a solid player, but he’s also given the Bulls a young rookie to build around for years to come. This rookie is the Bulls’ leading scorer, rebounder, most promising star, and of course, he’s:
Oh yeah, and he can do this:
.@AlexBarcello23 Way ahead of you! Gotta come up with some better ones to beat me!! 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/rNtLSVbY8d
— Lauri Markkanen (@MarkkanenLauri) November 17, 2017
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