NBA Market Share Report: Rolling With a Marksman in Lauri Markkanen

Markkanen the Marksman

We’re not the only ones on high alert of Lauri Markkanen’s recent run. Just last weekend, the seven-foot rookie sharpshooter received praise from the best shooting big man the game has ever seen when Dirk Nowitzki talked about the ease of Markkanen’s game and how “he’s going to be great for a long, long time.”

After a few big nights scattered throughout the earlier part of the season, Markkanen has been red hot since the turn of the new year, reaching at least five-times value in four of his last six games, while averaging 35 FanDuel points a night and earning himself honors as a top-20 fantasy scorer over the past week.

Despite the Bulls’ struggles in a campaign that will likely end in a lottery pick this summer, Markkanen has the opportunity to drive his hot hand and provide valuable fantasy production moving forward. He’s a guy who should continue to see over 30 minutes a night, while providing positive shooting numbers (nearly seven three-point attempts per game), good production on the glass (7.6 rebounds per game), and a reasonable salary ($5,700 over his last 10 games).

The Bulls host the Pistons Saturday night before welcoming to town the Heat and Warriors next week.