Lauri Markkanen is part of a potentially elite Chicago Bulls front line
In a now-infamous clip, Rick Pitino uttered the words “Larry Bird is not walking through that door. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door and Robert Parish is not walking through that door.” His point was that he did not have nearly the talent of the Celtics team of the past to work with. Lost in the more of his frustration, Coach Pitino inadvertently pointed out that the Boston Celtics once had the greatest front line in NBA history.
While Williams, Vucevic, and Markkanen are a far cry from Bird, Parish and McHale, Chicago’s front line could be one of the best in the East next season. After not starting a single game as a Florida State Seminole, Patrick Williams has started every game of his pro career. So far, he’s made Coach Billy Donovan look like a genius. For his part, Nikola Vucevic has continued to play like an All-Star since he arrived in the Windy City via trade with the Orlando Magic. If Lauri Markkanen, Patrick Williams and Vucevic are given the opportunity to gel for an entire season, there aren’t too many forwards and centers in the league who can keep up with their agility and their ability to play away from the basket.
Lauri Markkanen was once hailed as the second coming of Dirk Nowitzki. If that were true, the Bulls’ front office would’ve given him anything he wanted in extension talks during the off-season. While he won’t be the type of player a team can build around, he is certainly the type of player a team will regret losing. The Chicago Bulls are on the brink of qualifying for the post-season play-in tournament this season. If they have a healthy Lauri Markkanen, they could make next year’s playoffs without having to worry about the play-in at all.