Who is the Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year?
The Jazz’s forward has shown he can play with the best of them and now he’s being deservedly recognized as such. Keep an eye on Lauri Markkanen.
The son of two former Finnish basketball players, it just makes sense that the kid known as “The Finnisher” is now turning heads in the NBA. With his age and stage, we can all rest assured that he’s only just getting started.
Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen named NBA’s Most Improved Player
According to an announcement from the NBA on Monday, Lauri Markkanen is now the 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player. A first-time All-Star this past season, Markkanen had the opportunity to play in the league’s exhibition event without leaving the city where he’s currently based, Utah. Indeed, this season he’s averaged a more than impressive 25.6 points per game while establishing himself as one of the Jazz’s go-to offensive options.
Lauri Markkanen’s journey in the NBA
Drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Markkanen spent his first four seasons in the league with the Bulls, however, after becoming a restricted free agent in 2021, he agreed to a four-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers made the move in a sign-and-trade. Once there, he was utilized as a small forward, which to be honest was not his best position. Luckily, that ordeal would last only a single season. With the Cavs pursuing Donovan Mitchell in 2022, Markkanen was sent to Utah along with Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji and a number of draft picks to complete the deal. What that meant was, for the first time in his career, Markkanen was given the opportunity to be a primary scorer. He responded by registering one of the best stat lines of any player in the league on the season.
What lies ahead for Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz?
Though they didn’t secure themselves any postseason basketball, it’s interesting to note that the Jazz have and have had a number of award-winning players on their roster. In addition to Markkanen, who is the team’s first player to win the Most Improved Player award, there is also Rudy Gobert who won three Defensive Player of the Year awards in Utah, as well as Jordan Clarkson who won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021. With Markkanen now in the mix, the Jazz have now won all six of the NBA’s major regular-season awards. The legendary Karl Malone won two MVP awards with the Jazz, Frank Layden won Coach of the Year in 1984, and Darrell Griffith won Rookie of the Year in 1981.
Of course, as nice as this all sounds the glaring issue here and now is the lack of a spot in the playoffs. Truth be told, the Jazz could well have found themselves booking a postseason trip were it not for the fact that they traded away a clutch of key players at the deadline. Naturally, there will need to be some tinkering ahead of the next season, but at the very least they can count on a now established Markkanen. Indeed, if the 25-year-old can continue to grow from strength to strength then you can bet on the Jazz making waves in the campaigns to come.