With the offseason in full swing, players have each taken their own route to prepare themselves for the 2017-18 NBA campaign. While players from the United States have assembled some of the most legendary pickup games throughout the summer, international stars have chosen to represent their country at this year's EuroBasket tournament.
Among those who have shined at the tourney is Chicago Bulls rookie forward Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen was recently seen putting the game on ice with a clutch performance versus the French national team, courtesy of the All Ball App.
Lauri Markkanen 3 points in the clutch against France https://t.co/5P7UuyrfRg #NBA
— All Ball (@allballapp) August 31, 2017
Aside from that clutch 3-pointer, Markkanen finished the game with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting in their 86-84 victory over France. The win is certainly impressive when you consider how undermanned the Finnish squad was compared to a French team that featured NBA players such as Boris Diaw, Joffrey Lauvergne, and Evan Fournier.
Markkanen was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, he was traded soon thereafter in the blockbuster deal that sent then-Bulls forward Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves.
The move may have been best for Markkanen with the Bulls seemingly in full rebuild mode now. With his length and ability to stretch the floor, Markkanen will get plenty of opportunities to show out with the Bulls next season.
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