Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen has some goals for power forward Lauri Markkanen, and it has nothing to do with offense.

Boylen wants Markkanen to “improve defensively” and “be a more consistent rebounder” for the Bulls this season.

“I want him to improve defensively,” Boylen said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “And I want him to be a more consistent rebounder. When he rebounded at the defensive end of the floor and brought it, especially in that month of February, we were really good. We were hard to guard. And it got him going. So what we talk to him about is ‘Rebound the ball. It energizes you. It puts the ball in your hands. And we’re better.’ So I want to see him be more consistent with that.

“But he’s got to improve defensively. The four position in our league is basically a wing now, and you’ve got to be able to guard. I challenge him with it every day. Every day he walks out of that training room I challenge him, ‘Who you going to guard today?’ And I’m confident he will. I know he’ll work at it.”

Markkanen averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season while shooting 43.0 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from beyond the arc and 87.2 percent from the free-throw line. The stretch forward recorded 20 double-doubles for the Bulls.

For the Bulls to make the playoffs this season, both Markkanen and shooting guard Zach LaVine have to play at a high-level on both ends of the floor, not just on offense.