Lauri Markkanen’s career night vs. Suns ends Jazz’s losing streak
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Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) and Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) react as the Utah Jazz win an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns 134-133 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Sarah Todd covers the NBA and Utah Jazz for the Deseret News.
Shortly after the Utah Jazz beat the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, on the shoulders of a 38-point career-night from Lauri Markkanen, his teammate officially started the public campaign for Markkanen to become an NBA All-Star.
Jarred Vanderbilt didn’t mince words and didn’t try to beat around the bush.
“Lauri Markkanen is an All-Star,” he wrote on Twitter. “That’s it.”
Currently, Markkanen is ranked 7th in points per game (22.2) among frontcourt players in the Western Conference and is second in that group in field goal percentage (54.4%). The only player in the NBA with as many points per game and a higher effective field goal percentage than Markkanen (61.1%) is Stephen Curry (65.2%)
The Jazz needed every bit of fight from Mike Conley on Friday night, they needed all of Malik Beasley’s 27 points off the bench, they needed every ounce of defense from Vanderbilt to eek out the 134-133 victory over Phoenix, and still, the team knew that Markkanen was the star of the show.
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Utah Jazz guard Malik Beasley (5) reacts as the Jazz take possession during an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) shoots over Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric (20) during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges (25) and Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) fight for the ball during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt (8) reaches for the rebound behind Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric (20) and Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio (16) dribbles past Phoenix Suns forward Josh Okogie (2) during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) moves past Phoenix Suns guard Cameron Payne (15) during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) and Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) react as the Utah Jazz win an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns 134-133 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Phoenix Suns forward Josh Okogie (2) and Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) reach for the rebound during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) looks to make a shot as Phoenix Suns center Jock Landale (11) and Phoenix Suns forwards Josh Okogie (2) and Dario Saric (20) guard him during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Talen Horton-Tucker (0) shoots in front of Phoenix Suns forward Josh Okogie (2) during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio (16) shoots in front of Phoenix Suns forward Josh Okogie (2) during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) smiles during an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) dribbles around Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig (0) during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) falls after shooting in front of Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges (25) during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. A foul was called on Bridges. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reaches for a jump ball during an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley (11) reacts as the Jazz take possession during an NBA game agains the Phoenix Suns at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy watches the Utah Jazz play the Phoenix Suns in an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) reacts as the Jazz maintain a lead in an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) tries to keep the ball away from Phoenix Suns guards Cameron Payne (15) and Devin Booker (1) during an NBA game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. The Jazz won 134-133. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Before we get to how effective Markkanen was on the offensive end, it’s important to note how important he was defensively. The boxscore will show just one block for the 7-footer, but he also had a number of timely deflections and his ability to switch onto smaller players and stay with them continues to improve and impress from game to game.
“He’s been just as impressive as an athlete, having not been around him before, as he has a basketball player,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “I don’t know what the ceiling is on Lauri. I don’t think any of us do, but I’m pretty sure we haven’t seen it yet.”
Offensively Markkanen was masterful in carving up the Suns defense. His awareness of screens and seams and his timing off the ball is one of the things that stands out as sensational.
Let’s not forget that Markkanen is 7-feet tall and he’s able to cut backdoor and sneak around on the court like he’s a 6-foot-1 guard. Below are some of the clips of his off-ball movement, which includes his timing and use of screens as a shooter.
“He causes a lot of problems with his ability to read the game off the ball,” Conley said. “We’ve had more actions with him slipping to the rim and getting layups and dunks than we’ve probably had in a long time. He’s a really smart player and with his height and size, he can finish over a lot of people and still make plays for other guys on the weak side.”
None of this is by accident either. Markkanen has worked to try to be a better cutter and to become more nimble without the ball and Hardy has put him into a system that rewards that work.
“It probably doesn’t match the package that it comes in,” Hardy said. “I guess like you look at him and you wouldn’t assume that he’s that mobile and that nimble. Like, his footwork, it’s not just like the speed in a straight line. It’s his footwork in tight spaces and ability to change direction.”
Markkanen has had good seasons in the past. He had 35-point nights with Chicago and a 31-point game with Cleveland, but it’s not just about the points. His efficiency, his usage and his confidence are at an all-time high on the this Jazz team. But more importantly, there’s no one around the Jazz that think we’ve seen the best of Markkanen yet, including Markkanen himself.
“I‘m definitely not satisfied,” he said. “There’s a lot of things I can do better.”
Markkanen left the arena with the game-ball and noted that he hopes it’s not the last game-ball he gets. Asked what he would do with it, he said he’d take it home, but that his kids would probably end up playing with it.
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