Lauri Markkanen: “I Don’t Think I’ve Hit Close To My Ceiling Yet…”

(via Chicago Tribune)

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Young forward Lauri Markkanen is a bit of an enigma in the basketball world.

After being drafted 7th in the 2017 Draft, there was a lot of optimism that he could become a true star in the league.

And, throughout his rookie campaign, he showed flashes of star potential, posting averages of 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game on 43% shooting.

Unfortunately, Markkanen failed to break out as a star, and his development as a player has been in a state of pause for the past couple of years. Even he knew that things were not going to work out in Chicago.

"Bulls restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen tells Finnish journalist @AJ_Sipila he wants out of Chicago: “We have offers from several different teams. I want a fresh start to my NBA career somewhere else," tweeted Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports.

Now that he’s in Cleveland, there is a sense he could finally make some noise in a new environment with fresh and unfamiliar surroundings.

In an interview with KC Johnson of NBC Sports, the young big man expressed much confidence about what is to come.

“I don’t think I’ve hit close to my ceiling yet,” Markkanen shared.

“The last couple years have been mentally pretty tough. I’ve grown as a person because of that so I wouldn’t change it. I’ve learned a lot. But I just felt like I need to get back to the old me and how I know I can play the game. I think this is a good opportunity for me to do that.”

So far, there is much that Lauri needs to work on in regards to his game. Last season was probably the worst of his career so far, and many have already given up hope.

With the Cavs, though, he gets to start over in a pressure-free situation. We will see how he responds.

For now, all we can do is hope and pray that his bold claims are more than just words. He has to continue to work if he wants to prove all the doubters and haters wrong.