Chicago Bulls: 2017-18 team awards

Rookie of the Year: Lauri Markkanen

By default, only one player qualifies for this award – Lauri Markkanen, as he was the only rookie on the roster this season. The Bulls their traded their No. 38 pick (Jordan Bell) to the Golden State Warriors and both Ryan Arcidiacono and Antonio Blakeney were on two-way contacts, meaning their time was split with the Bulls and the team’s G League affiliate.

Following a collegiate campaign that saw him post averages of 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest on 42.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc, the only question was whether his skill-set would translate at the NBA level.

In a word: absolutely.

Although Markkanen was inserted into the starting lineup unexpectedly, the rookie forward proved that he’s got game. Of all of the players who appeared in at least 25 games for the Bulls this season (including Nikola Mirotic) – Markkanen was the team’s third leading scorer with 15.2 points per outing and he also led the Bulls in rebounding, pulling down 7.5 boards per game.

He became the fastest player in NBA history to hit 100 3-pointers, accomplishing the feat in just 41 games. Not only that, Markkanen became the fourth player in franchise history to post 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his rookie season.

With the ability to knock down the long ball and the willingness to take the ball to the rim on hard closeouts, Markkanen proved to be a difficult cover for opposing teams on most nights. Barring any major setbacks, that trend will continue in the years to come.