Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen (24) reacts to being called for a foul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons in Chicago, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Jeff Haynes)ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Chicago Bulls' 2018-19 season hit a roadblock before it even began when Lauri Markkanen suffered a sprained right elbow at the start of training camp. Markkanen's timetable was set at six to eight weeks, but we just passed the eight-week mark without the young Finnish star returning to the floor.
The good news is Markkanen is close. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said last week that the 21-year-old is now taking "controlled contact" in practice, and the hope is he can progress to full contact in the coming week. A return to game action should come shortly after that, though there's no current target date.
Markkanen's return to the floor couldn't come any sooner for a Bulls team that has been abysmal offensively. Chicago has failed to reach 100 points in seven of its last nine games and currently ranks 30th in offensive rating at 100.6 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. That's bad enough, but the number is even uglier in November. In 12 games this month, the Bulls have posted a putrid 95.9 offensive rating. The Atlanta Hawks have the second-worst offense in November, but they're up at 101.8 points per 100 possessions.
Injuries to Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis and Denzel Valentine (out for the season) have only compounded the issue, with Dunn's absence especially notable given Chicago's questionable point guard play behind him. In a 111-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, the Bulls' point guard trio of Ryan Arcidiacono, Shaq Harrison and Cameron Payne didn't record a point in 55 combined minutes, spoiling stellar showings from Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker.
However, Markkanen is the budding star of this injured group and a player viewed as a franchise cornerstone. His rare skill set as a 7-footer will open things up for the Bulls' offense and make them more dynamic. Per NBC Sports Chicago, Hoiberg specifically referenced the two-man game with LaVine as a key weapon to be unleashed: "We should be getting Lauri back here soon and it's going to be fun to get those guys in two-man actions."
With all these injuries, LaVine is carrying a huge offensive load (31.7 usage rate) and getting a ton of attention from opposing defenses, which has resulted in a significant dip in efficiency this month after a scorching start. The 23-year-old has a 49.6% true shooting percentage in November after a 62.7% mark in October. He's even under 30% on 3-pointers for the season.
There just aren't many other players on the Bulls who are consistent threats. Parker has finally found a bit of a groove of late but has been inconsistent overall at best and awful at worst. Rookie Wendell Carter Jr. is still a work in progress on the offensive end. Justin Holiday has been terrific on 3-pointers at 40.3%, but he's not an off-the-dribble threat. Nobody worries about the Bulls' point guards.
Markkanen will provide elite floor spacing from his position at the 4 or 5, which should make pick-and-pops with LaVine dangerous while limiting the hard doubles the guard has often been seeing. Markkanen should also be able to punish switches with his improved strength and, hopefully, a more advanced repertoire in the post and off the dribble.
It will likely take some time for Markkanen to find his rhythm after an injury to his shooting elbow, but his mere presence will help the Bulls' moribund attack. Things really can't get much worse at this point.
