Game after game, Lauri Markkanen is leading the Utah Jazz in the hunt for a playoff spot. In his new club, he has reached a new level as his role on the pitch has also changed.
John Stockton, Karl Malone, Pete Maravich and Deron Williams. There are some players who have previously been the face of the Utah Jazz in the NBA.
Now it is Lauri Markkanen who is the front man for a Utah Jazz that has been rebuilt and is on the rise. The Finn has blossomed in his new environment and is having a brilliant season.
Behind the success this season is purposeful training done at home in Jyväskylä.
– In recent years, I have been training a few different things in Finland. There has been more focus on speed, I have sharpened some things and worked on coordination. It has helped me a lot, he says in an interview for STT.
– I have been training with Jani Parkkinen in Jyväskylä for the past few years. I have known him for a long time. It has been individual training and if you make a small mistake, we have corrected it immediately.
Better self-confidence after successful national team matches
Markkanen also points to successful matches in the national team that have meant that he has also delivered in North America this season.
– In the summer I got a big role in the national team and in the EC we faced tough players and teams. When I could do different things against them, I gained confidence and realized that I can do it here too, he says.
Markkanen is currently averaging 24.9 points per game.
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Lauri Markkanen
Markkanen has played 47 games for Utah this season and is currently averaging 24.9 points per game. A balance that is brilliant not only in the club but also in the entire league, and the Finn may not yet have reached his peak.
– Lauri has grown both as a person and as a player, and I think he has his best years ahead of him. He has a completely different confidence now than before. He brings a lot to us in different areas, said Utah coach Will Hardy.
More involved in the game
Markkanen also sees that this season he has succeeded better in scoring in situations that are closer to the basket.
– I have been given slightly easier situations, and then I have moved forward harder and been able to pound. It helps as it is a little easier ending. But I can still get better and I have missed some easy situations in recent weeks, he says.
A big factor in Markkanen’s success this season is also that he has a different role with the Utah Jazz than he did with his former clubs the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls.
– I am more in motion and it feels like I run more without the ball and make blocks. That way I’m also more involved in the game. The coach also makes sure that I get to do more, he says.
