NBA Preseason: 5 surprising players making a splash in early exhibitions

4 of 6

Finnish big man Lauri Markkanen at FIBA Eurobasket 2022 (OLIVER BEHRENDT/AFP via Getty Images) /

3. Lauri Markkanen looks fantastic jumping from EuroBasket to NBA Preseason.

Despite getting traded to a rebuilding Utah Jazz squad, it’s been a great summer for Lauri Markkanen. He was fantastic for the Finnish national team at EuroBasket 2022, averaging 27.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game throughout his time in the competition. That carried right over to a scorching Jazz debut in an NBA Preseason matchup with the Toronto Raptors.

Markkanen put up 20 points in 24 minutes and displayed his full scoring arsenal. The 7-foot big man looked to be in great shape and was moving with fluidity on the court, which helped him score near the basket at will using excellent touch and timing. His 3-point jumper remained crisp as ever, spotting up and nailing a catch-and-shoot triple within the flow of his team’s offense.

Quietly included in the blockbuster deal for Donovan Mitchell, it’s feasible that Markkanen might be in line for a career year. Now 25 years old, Lauri has all of the tools to take over a higher-scoring workload for Utah this season. With plenty of playmakers around him including several veterans, this might be his best chance to take that step and fulfill some of the potential that made him the seventh overall pick in 2017.