It hasn't quite been the season that most expected out of Chicago Bulls power forward Lauri Markkanen. The third-year big man is putting up career lows pretty much across the board, averaging 15.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Markkanen is also averaging a career-low 12.0 field goal attempts per game. And after the Bulls' 11-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, the Finnish stretch big realized what he needs to do in the future.
“Yeah, I probably have to be [more selfish],’’ Markkanen said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times “I’ve just got to get the ball and get to those spots where I can take those 20 shots. I’m a team-first guy so I’m going to do whatever we need, but obviously a big part of it is me playing at my own level.”
In the loss, Markannen put up just 12 points and four rebounds on only nine shot attempts. The 22-year-old had a career-year last season when he registered 15.3 shot attempts per contest.
“I know I can probably attack the rim a little more often and a more aggressive. Obviously I was trying to look for my spots, but I didn’t feel I had the opportunities,” he said.
Lauri Markkanen's down year has also affected the Bulls as a whole. Despite having a lot of exciting young pieces on the roster, Chicago is now 15-28 on the season — which is only good for 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
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