There’s real buzz around the Utah Jazz heading into this season, and Lauri Markkanen is a huge reason why. For the first time since 2022, the Jazz are expected to win a few games, and that shift puts Markkanen in a different kind of spotlight: he’ll be the clear leader and best player on a playoff team for the first time in his career.
That’s the part that makes this season so intriguing. Markkanen’s talent has never really been in doubt, and in Utah he’s been so productive that the team has sometimes had to rein him in or sit him down altogether. Now those limitations are gone, and that opens the door to what could be the best season of his NBA career.
He offered a strong preview of that upside yesterday while playing for Finland in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Markkanen delivered a double-double in three quarters, finishing with 21 PTS, 10 REB, 2 AST, and 2 BLK. For him, that kind of line is almost routine, but it still serves as a sharp reminder of what he can bring when nothing is holding him back.
He has had bigger nights before, both in the NBA and in FIBA. Still, the performance was exactly the kind of sample Utah fans wanted to see: a dominant Markkanen showing what he can do ahead of a season in which the Jazz finally seem ready to let him run.
The big question now is how high the ceiling really is. Markkanen has only had one true chance to stretch out in Utah, and that came during his breakout season with the Jazz, when he won Most Improved Player and earned his first All-Star selection. Even then, the team eventually pivoted to tanking.
Since then, he’s continued to show how good he is, even if there were some concerns after Year 3 in Utah. But this season is different. There’s no obvious leash, and that makes it hard to pin down just how far he can go or what awards might be within reach.
Of course, none of it is guaranteed. Markkanen’s output will matter, but so will the Jazz around him.
Even after losing Walker Kessler in what many believe was a pretty brilliant trade for Utah, the expectations for the team are still fairly high. Not championship-level high, but high enough that if everything clicks and Markkanen does his part, an All-NBA spot could be in play.
No one should get too far ahead of themselves. The Jazz still have to prove it on the floor. But after a performance like the one he turned in for Finland, it’s easy to see why this fifth season in Utah feels like it could be something special.
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