Dallas Mavericks veteran big man Dirk Nowitzki got a firsthand look at rookie forward Lauri Markkanen during Friday’s 127-124 home loss against the visiting Chicago Bulls, and he is convinced that the Finnish youngster is going to blossom further.
After seeing Markkanen drop 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field — including three three-pointers — in the game, Nowitzki had good things to say about the young Bull’s future, per ESPN.
High praise from a legend. pic.twitter.com/OG3ZRP7Xn3
— ESPN (@espn) January 6, 2018
Markkanen has been a pleasant surprise so far for the Bulls. Selected by Chicago via the Minnesota Timberwolves’ seventh overall pick in the first round of last year’s NBA Draft, Markkanen has quickly adapted to the life in the pro league, as evidenced by his impressive rookie numbers of 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. He is also sinking 2.2 three-pointers on 34.8 percent shooting from long range territory.
The 20-year-old Markkanen capitalized on a big opportunity to play major minutes for the Bulls when teammate Nikola Mirotic was sidelined for a number of games early this season, and filled in the role so effectively that Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg continues to give the sweet-shooting seven-footer plenty of time on the floor even with Mirotic back in the lineup.
Markannen's accuracy from behind the arc, size, rapid development, and his immense potential make Nowitzki’s comparison of Markkanen with New York Knicks unicorn forward Kristaps Porzingis warranted.
In fact, Markkanen’s rookie numbers are better than some of Porzingis’ first-year stats. In 2016, the Latvian put up 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest. He also shot 33.3 percent from three-point land and 42.1 percent from the field overall. All those numbers are currently lower than what Markkanen is producing so far this season.
Nowitzki is not a basketball scout, but he has been around the NBA for almost 20 years, so he surely knows what he was talking about.
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