4. Lauri Markkanen (PF)
More than four years removed from the Bulls trading away Jimmy Butler and we’re still wondering whether Lauri Markkanen can become a good player.
Like a lot of the young guys on this team, we see the glimmers of what the fuss is about: the ability to attack off the dribble, the potential to space the floor (87th percentile in BBall Index’s 3-point per game gravity), and, at least, the idea that he could feast in the post when smaller players switch onto him.
But, through a combination of injuries and underwhelming play when he was on the court, things haven’t worked out that way. With a career -0.3 Box Plus/Minus (BPM), Markkanen has earned FiveThirtyEight’s “rotational player” projection and if that’s all he turns out to be, Chicago may think twice about signing him to a lofty extension when this season concludes.
His .380/.310/.333 shooting line this preseason didn’t give anyone reason to be encouraged, but that won’t matter if Markkanen comes out and shoots the way everyone expected him to coming out of college. If he doesn’t, defenses will stop respecting his shot and dedicate their efforts elsewhere. And that’s the last thing this Bulls team needs on their plate.
Oh, and if he could at least become a respectable team defender who can protect the rim, that would help, too.