• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

Lauri Markkanen - Utahin Marsalkka: All-NBA Snub

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Do You Enjoy Saunas?

  • Yes

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • No

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • Yes, only if it is co-ed and naked

    Votes: 5 35.7%
  • Yes, but only if nudity is not allowed

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No, heat gives me rashes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No, I prefer a bracing plunge into Lake Erie in January

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yes, but only if a naked Lauri is present

    Votes: 5 35.7%
  • Yes, only if Jim Chones is present

    Votes: 4 28.6%
  • No, no Jim Chones, no Sauna!

    Votes: 2 14.3%
  • Yes, but only if drinks are served and Death Metal is played

    Votes: 3 21.4%

  • Total voters
    14
A step forward is a step forward. Decent on both ends ofc matching up with Haliburton wasn't the easiest defensive task. 3/8 from downtown and his missed ones wasn't as much all over the place as in some games. WIth his good on court ratings if he picks up shooting a bit its gonna be a huge positive instead of current situation where he is just an ok option with no much better upgrades in the roster.
all being said I am happier with him than Nance Jr
 
Needs to stop thinking about Urho Kekkonen.

fhSWwHn.jpg
 
Lauri is focused on the court. I do think he's giving a lot of effort against smaller players and doesn't want to make mistakes. Maybe he's pressing at times because he's over thinking some things.

In any case, he is one of the swing cogs of the entire unit. Lauri is starting to show signs of breaking out of his shooting slump which is going to help a lot. Hope he's leaving the Carnival of Rust.

Gotta say, it was really nice to see him smile after the collision with Jarrett on the lob. It's been rare to see him smile in game action. Definitely seems like he's tough on himself.
 
Last edited:
Lauri's 113.0 on-court ORTG is 1st on the team among qualified guys, a full 1.7 points higher than 2nd place Garland's on-court ORTG. So as poorly as he's been shooting, it's clear he must be doing some things right out there. Even when he's bricking shots, he's still a 7 footer spacing the floor and drawing the defense. If he could return to just career average 3P%, that would be massive.
 
Lauri's 113.0 on-court ORTG is 1st on the team among qualified guys, a full 1.7 points higher than 2nd place Garland's on-court ORTG. So as poorly as he's been shooting, it's clear he must be doing some things right out there. Even when he's bricking shots, he's still a 7 footer spacing the floor and drawing the defense. If he could return to just career average 3P%, that would be massive.
In the offensive end, he seems to be using hand signals and some verbalization a lot to make sure sets go as planned. In the both ends of the floor, he seems to be doing exact things the coaching has been drawing for sets. It might at times make him look a bit passive, but coaches respect it a lot, and as long the team is winning it is good. It also isnt perfect, because at times he should be readier to break out from some sets if surprising things happen, but in most situations, his euro attitude makes it one constant out there the other pieces know. It is quite sure he is in the exact places he should be in each possession or defensive task.
 
Teams don't have enough time to game plan during a regular 82 game season. They will *definitely* game plan for Markk and attack him relentlessly during a 7 game series though. The flukey 3 big man lineup worked early in the season as it is an anomoly in today's game. Teams are going to find ways to exploit it in the playoffs which is a reason most bigs, despite having good regular seasons, get played entirely off the floor in the playoffs.
Maybe that's what he needs then. Sometimes an ass kicking is the necessity for reinvention. He is too talented to not figure it out. I Like that he has not shied away from taking critical threes while playing underwhelmingly. He took two of them against the Kings that essentially got us the lead and won the game down the stretch. He hit another one down the stretch in that Grizzlies game too when nobody could score. Lauri is not a Bargnani or Drummond out there; his basketball IQ is high.
 
Last edited:
I think the coaching staff realized early on that Lauri has the perfect personality to be a "supporting starter". He doesn't get the jitters in big moments like some bench dude might because he's started his whole career, BUT he also doesn't need the ball that much. He tries to do the little things that keep the machine working while also being ready to step up when he has to. That's not necessarily an easy role to play.

Not everyone can be a 1st or 2nd option in a starting lineup. You need one or two guys there who are pretty much content to take something of a back seat. There's only so many basketballs and just 24 seconds on the shot clock. Replacing Markkanen with some "name" dude who would come in with an expectation of getting a certain amount of touches and shots on the wing wouldn't necessarily work if we want to keep developing the Garland-Mobley-Allen trio.

The chemistry of a lineup is a fickle thing. This is the same reason why I always frown when I see 3 stars joining forces to form a "superteam". Fans look at their combined stats and say "Jesus, they're gonna kill everyone now!" but in reality, one of those players will always have to sacrifice. The NBA game moves fast and even the 3rd offensive option in a lineup is often just a fallback option, never mind the 4th.

Coming back to Lauri – the other side of the coin is that he doesn't really have the personality (or skills, for that matter) to play Love's "instant scoring" role off the bench. Lauri needs a framework around him, he's not a guy who you just hand the ball and tell him to go to work.
 
Last edited:
I think the coaching staff realized early on that Lauri has the perfect personality to be a "supporting starter". He doesn't get the jitters in big moments like some bench dude might because he's started his whole career, BUT he also doesn't need the ball that much. He tries to do the little things that keep the machine working while also being ready to step up when he has to. That's not necessarily an easy role to play.

Not everyone can be a 1st or 2nd option in a starting lineup. You need one or two guys there who are pretty much content to take something of a back seat. There's only so many basketballs and just 24 seconds on the shot clock. Replacing Markkanen with some "name" dude who would come in with an expectation of getting a certain amount of touches and shots on the wing wouldn't necessarily work if we want to keep developing the Garland-Mobley-Allen trio.

The chemistry of a lineup is a fickle thing. This is the same reason why I always frown when I see 3 stars joining forces to form a "superteam". Fans look at their combined stats and say "Jesus, they're gonna kill everyone now!" but in reality, one of those players will always have to sacrifice. The NBA game moves fast and even the 3rd offensive option in a lineup is often just a fallback option, never mind the 4th.

Coming back to Lauri – the other side of the coin is that he doesn't really have the personality (or skills, for that matter) to play Love's "instant scoring" role off the bench. Lauri needs a framework around him, he's not a guy who you just hand the ball and tell him to go to work.
Not going lie this is one of your better posts bro, and to add to it, him having a secured contract also is letting him fit in and Relaxs and let the game come to him…….
 
Like...even when he plays like shit, I just can't be mad at him. He absolutely plays his ass off and he is clearly talented...shots are not falling. How can you hate the guy? Not to mention, I don't really feel like he is hurting the team even when his shot is off. It's weird. With Love for example, if his shot is off, I feel like he is actively hurting the team.

When Lauri actually plays good...the Cavs are really hard to beat.

Actually, I don't find myself mad at most players unless they give bad effort. I reserve my hatred towards JBB.
 
Like...even when he plays like shit, I just can't be mad at him. He absolutely plays his ass off and he is clearly talented...shots are not falling. How can you hate the guy? Not to mention, I don't really feel like he is hurting the team even when his shot is off. It's weird. With Love for example, if his shot is off, I feel like he is actively hurting the team.

When Lauri actually plays good...the Cavs are really hard to beat.

Actually, I don't find myself mad at most players unless they give bad effort. I reserve my hatred towards JBB.

I can't be mad at him because he gets put into extremely tough defensive assignments he shouldn't be put into.
 
Might this be FebruLauri coming closer?
Lauri MarkkanenLauri MarkkanenFebruary 20191036.326.012.22.40.60.21.78.818.148.62.46.934.86.06.592.336326012224621728+
I'd say it's pretty unlikely given his current role at both ends of the floor. But damn I loved his game vs. the Jazz. Keep it coming Lauri! I couldn't help but smile when I saw him chatting/joking with Mobley on the bench with a big-ass grin on his face. He's in a good place now, and so are we (Finnish NBA fans). I'm loving this team's unity so much. No problem waking up in the middle of the night watching these guys play for each other.

What do you guys think about his passing game? He's not Jason Kidd alright, but he gets more assists here than in Chicago. Also when a Bull, some fans really took a dump on his BB IQ and passing game when the team wasn't winning, which was often, and in my opinion not fair or justified. I think he's shown to be a good passer for a big man. The current offensive scheme with moving the rock around definitely benefit from the PG/SG days he spent as a teenager.
 
Last edited:

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-13: "Backup Bash Brothers"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:11: "Clipping Bucks."
Top