Chicago Bulls: Lauri Markkanen hopes to snap out of recent slump

Chicago Bulls second-year forward Lauri Markkanen played exceptionally well during the month of February. Since that memorable stretch, however, his efficiency has taken a noticeable dip.

The Chicago Bulls acquired Lauri Markkanen in a draft-night trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2017. Initially, the goal was to bring him along at a deliberate pace.

Thanks to unforeseen circumstances, however, Markkanen was immediately inserted into the starting lineup and has never looked back. During his rookie campaign, he compiled averages of 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, exceeding the team’s expectations.

Markkanen performed so well that former head coach Fred Hoiberg planned to give him a larger role within the offense. That never came to fruition under Hoiberg’s watch, however, as Markkanen sustained and elbow injury that forced him to miss the first 23 games of the season.

Although he did play well during the first two months of the season, posting averages of 17 points and eight boards per contest, Markkanen really found his footing in February. In fact, during that memorable 11-game stretch, he averaged 26.0 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game — his highest scoring average of any month during his young career with the Bulls.

He had eight games in which he finished with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, and in two more games, he missed a double-double by just one rebound.

Based on the numbers, it was of little surprise that Markkanen was a finalist for the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award. He continued his solid play into March, torching the Atlanta Hawks for 31 points and 17 boards in the Bulls’ 168-161 quadruple overtime win.

Since that time, Markkanen’s numbers have been on a downward spiral, to say the least. Over the last six outings, his scoring averaged has dipped to 15.0 points per game, while his 7.8 rebounds a night are nearly five fewer rebounds than he averaged in February.

Additionally, he is shooting just 34.4 percent from the field and a less than impressive 23.8 percent from beyond the arc. This includes Chicago’s most recent outing against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

In that contest, he shot 4-for-17 overall and missed on each of his eight attempts from 3-point range as the Bulls fell 123-107. Despite this recent stretch, Markkanen remains positive and feels that it’s only a matter of time before he gets back on track.

"“I’ve been doing the same stuff,’’ Markkanen told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I know it will turn around. I acknowledge that I’m not playing like I was in February, but I’m going to keep working the way I do every day because everything feels the same. It’s just not going in right now. I thought every [shot taken] was going in. They felt good out of my hand. Of course, it’s not fun when they are not going in. But I know it will turn around and I will take the same shots.’’"

Something that is worth noting is the fact the Bulls were 5-6 during that impressive 11-game stretch in February. Over the last six games, the team has gone just 1-5.

Is Markkanen’s recent play anything to be overly concerned about? Probably not, as there are still enough games on the schedule for him to turn things around.

Considering what we have seen from him thus far, not only should we expect him to finish the current season on a strong note, but we should also to look forward to him taking another step forward in Year 3.