Lauri Markkanen reflects on his struggles with the Chicago Bulls

Lauri Markkanen discussed his four years with the Chicago Bulls and explained what drives him with the Utah Jazz

© Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, the Chicago Bulls traded Lauri Markkanen to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team deal that led to Derrick Jones Jr.’s arrival in the Windy City. Markkanen is now with the Utah Jazz and having the hottest career start.

Markkanen talked about his four years in Chicago

Shams Charania interviewed Markkanen, and he opened up about his time with the Bulls.

“I’m the person who always looks in the mirror first and tries to figure it out. So then, when it was hard, I think I just put even more pressure on myself to make the next play. If you don’t get as many shots, you better make these shots count,” Markkanen said.

“It was just a vicious circle trying to figure it out. It was a tough year, and I think it got to the point that it wasn’t that much fun anymore, the last two years in Chicago. It was a big thing for me to be in Cleveland (in 2021-22), such a fun year that we had with that group of guys. Now it’s so much easier to go out there and play the game I fell in love with.”

Markkanen is accountable for his struggles. Coaching, his own volition, or a combination of the two, led to Markkanen's regression during his last two years in Chicago. In 2020-21, the seven-footer posted career lows in almost every category (except shooting), and the Bulls removed him from the starting lineup after the in-season trade for Nikola Vucevic.

Markkanen shines with the Jazz

Markkanen is averaging career-highs of 21.9 points and 2.7 assists in 33.3 minutes over 12 games with the Jazz this season. He is also grabbing 8.8 rebounds and shooting a career-best 52.9 percent from the field.

The 25-year-old forward led the Jazz with 23 points, three rebounds, and two assists on Monday’s 139-116 home win against the Lakers.

The Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the offseason, and they were expected to tank for Victor Wembanyama, but they’re off to a 9-3 start. They have the best record in the Western Conference, one game ahead of the Suns, Trail Blazers, and Nuggets.

“(Tanking chatter) definitely feeds us. We hate to see that every morning when we win, we see that it’s a surprise,” Markkanen explained.

Now, Markkanen is impacting winning basketball with the Jazz while leading the charge. Markkanen is playing like an All-Star; he finishes at the basket confidently, creates shots, grabs rebounds, and defends with purpose.

Bulls fans wish Markkanen’s transformation took place in Chicago, but he’s clearly taken all his good and bad experiences and made the most of them now with the Jazz.