NBA Halloween: Playing trick-or-treat with 2017-18 early season trends

Chicago Bulls

Lauri Markkanen‘s hot start: Treat

The Chicago Bulls are 1-4, and the most surprising part of that record is the “1.” However, as haphazard as this team’s youth movement appeared following the Jimmy Butler trade, Bulls fans have one thing to appreciate so far: Lauri Markkanen.

When he was selected, Markkanen’s defense overshadowed everything else. But here’s the good thing about playing for a Bulls team that’s tanking for a top pick: Who the hell cares about defense as long as he’s capable of producing on the other end?

Producing is exactly what the Markksman (you heard it here first) is doing through his first five games. The rookie is averaging 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game on 41.7 percent shooting from downtown, he became the first rookie in NBA history to drain 10 3-pointers in his first three games and in normal years, he’d be a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. With Nikola Mirotic likely wanting out and Bobby Portis serving a suspension, the starting job should be his moving forward.