Utah Jazz forward, Lauri Markkanen, has been tearing up EuroBasket but cooled off in the final friendly for Finland in their game against Poland. Markkanen finished with 6 points and 7 rebounds in 17 minutes, a far cry from the 40 PPG he’d been putting up. Finland did win the game, so he didn’t have to put up more big numbers to get the win and the 4-game win streak.
The dip in performance likely doesn’t mean much, as this is just the friendlies part of the tournament. It is something to watch as the group play will begin soon. That’ll include better competition and a clearer picture of where Markkanen stands with his level of play. Last season was unquestioningly a down season for Markkanen, who put up very subpar numbers for his level of skill and contract. Many Jazz fans have been discussing whether Markkanen is playing poorly on purpose or if the level of play around him is dragging him down. Personally, I feel like players who receive max-level contracts should play at max levels regardless of who’s playing. It’s what makes them max players, but I digress. This tournament will give a lot more insight into where Markkanen is at with his level of play.
