Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls has been listed as doubtful in Monday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, per K.C. Johnson of NBCS Chicago.
Markkanen suffered the injury late in Saturday night’s 111-104 loss to the Boston Celtics. He left the game 15 points, four rebounds, an assist, a steal, and three 3-pointers in 29 minutes of action. Initial examination revealed that the big man suffered a sprained left ankle.
Bulls officially list Lauri Markkanen as doubtful vs. Mavericks with sprained left ankle.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 6, 2020
The 22-year-old Finnish baller is putting up 15.6 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists across 30.1 minutes of action. As part of the Bulls' young core, expect the team to be cautious in handling his injury. Just three seasons in the league, Lauri Markkanen has quickly proved his worth as an asset for the squad.
Prior to the injury, Markannen has not missed a game and has played and started in 36 games. He has yet to play a full season in the league. Last year, he played 52 games (51 starts) and in his rookie year, Markannen played and started in 68 games.
While the Bulls have not revealed a timeline, expect them to give Markannen ample room to recover. After all, they currently sport a 13-23 record for 10th in the East. While it's a mediocre record, they're just a few spots away from entering the playoffs. And for a young and rebuilding team, postseason experience, no matter how little, is of great value.
With Markannen out, expect head coach Jim Boylen to field veteran Thaddeus Young or even Luke Kornet in the power forward spot. The Bulls will start their two-game road trip on Monday against the Mavs, followed by the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
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