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Lauri Markkanen excited about new start with Cavs: ‘Looking forward to this new chapter’
By
Kelsey Russo Sep 10, 2021
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(Photo of Markkanen: Steven Ryan / Getty Images)
When Lauri Markkanen first walked through the doors of the practice facility at Cleveland Clinic Courts, one of the coaches said to him, “We got one rule, and that’s shoot the ball.”
And that sentiment was exciting for Markkanen, who is still learning all the names of the
Cleveland Cavaliers coaching staff after finishing his second workout Thursday.
The 24-year-old forward shot 40.2 percent from the 3-point arc last season, the best percentage of his career. He spent the extended offseason before the 2020-21 campaign working on his game and developing his range.
“I’m excited. Being in a new place, I think it’s always exciting,” Markkanen said during his introductory news conference Thursday. “It’s going to take some time to get used to all the new and different stuff and getting to live in Cleveland, but I’m excited and looking forward to this opportunity of playing here.
“We had a nice drive from Chicago yesterday, we got everything taken care of moving-wise, we’re ready to go and looking forward to this new chapter.”
Markkanen will get a fresh start in Cleveland after a tough few years in Chicago. He hasn’t been in Cleveland very long, first arriving about a week ago and spending a few days looking for a place to live. Then, he headed back to Chicago to make the move.
Markannen played his first four seasons in the league with the Bulls, where he saw his success on the court ebb and flow. He missed time throughout those four seasons to injuries. He was a consistent scorer in his first two seasons, averaging 15.2 points per game in 2017-18 and 18.7 points per game in 2018-19. Then in his third season, his numbers began to dip.
In 2019-20, Markkanen shot 34.4 percent from 3, 42.5 percent from the field and averaged 14.7 points per game, the lowest of his career. The first three months of last season saw a flashback to numbers (18.5 points per game) similar to his first two seasons. But in the final three months, he averaged 11.6 points per game.
A roster shakeup also sent Markkanen to the bench as a reserve. He started just 26 games of the 2020-21 season with the Bulls.
“There was different stuff,” he said on his struggles. “You always have high expectations of yourself, and if you’re not playing well, it can get tough on you. Then, of course, personal change and role change. Feel like everything combined was a little tough, but now I can look back and be glad it happened because I grew up as a person and a player a lot during those two years.
“I wouldn’t change it. It made me who I am today.”
Markkanen said he’s focused on learning the new terminology the Cavs use and acclimating himself to a new system. He’s had early conversations with coach J.B. Bickerstaff about their expectations of him and what the Cavs want to achieve.
After those conversations with Bickerstaff, Markkanen feels like he has the freedom to be himself.
“He wants me to be me. Just play the game the way I know how,” Markkanen said. “I know what I can do on the court, and I’m glad he’s seen that too. He wants me to be aggressive and play freely. Just make the right basketball plays every time.
“We have a consistent group of guys. Everybody shows up. I think that’s expected — to come in every day and work and do that, and I think everything is going to click. … I’m looking forward to spending more time with him and getting more in-depth with that. But he wants me to be me.”
Markkanen’s 3-point shooting and ability to space the floor adds a potentially different look to the Cavs’ offense, which struggled from the perimeter during the 2020-21 season. The Cavs finished last season ranked 28th in offensive rating, last in the league in scoring and 3-point percentage, 28th in 3-point attempts and 29th in 3-pointers made.
But his outside shooting isn’t the only thing Markkanen brings to the table. He feels he’s grown in the mental aspects of the game and how he approaches it.
“Obviously, I’m 7 feet, but I feel like I can do a lot of different stuff,” Markkanen said. “I’m not strictly a post-up guy. I’m not strictly a 3-point shooter. I’ve been shooting more 3s now, but I feel I can do a lot more stuff — put the ball on the floor and create for others from there. That’s what I’m looking forward to doing.
“Just be active on both ends of the floor. I’ve always been a guy who tries to make the right basketball play. That’s what I’m trying to keep doing and just stay aggressive.”
The Cavs invested in Markkanen when they completed the sign-and-trade deal for his contract worth four years, $67 million. He joins Cleveland’s young core of Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen and fits right in with their youth movement.
“We are extremely fortunate as an organization to be in a position to acquire another young and talented player with the skill set of Lauri Markkanen,” general manager Koby Altman said in a news release announcing the acquisition. “He has the proven ability to play multiple positions and stretch the floor from the perimeter and, at 24 years old, we believe his best basketball is in front of him.
“We are committed to establishing a winning culture in Cleveland that can be sustained over time, and Lauri helps elevate that description.”
Markkanen joins a crowded frontcourt, one which features Mobley, Allen and Kevin Love. The Cavs also have Dean Wade, Lamar Stevens and Mfiondu Kabengele in the frontcourt, all four on non-guaranteed contracts for this season. They will use training camp to work on rotations and find pairings that work well together.
Any competition among the frontcourt group is a welcome element, as Markkanen said they all hold slightly different skill sets. They each bring a necessary element of height to the roster, as both Markkanen and Mobley are 7-footers, while Allen is 6 foot 11.
Markkanen didn’t know any of his new Cleveland teammates on a personal level, but he’s begun getting to know the younger players.
“Good group of guys, down-to-earth guys and nice guys to be around,” Markkanen said. “I’m looking forward to spending more time with those guys, getting to know them and I have a really good feeling about this team and organization.”
This new start is a chance for Markkanen to prove himself again. He felt the same way before heading into the 2020-21 season, wanting to prove that he could still play in Chicago as he entered his fourth season.
So he approached this offseason the same way he’s done in the past: what went well and what didn’t. He also worked on his body and played lots of pickup games.
Now in a new environment, Markkanen wants to prove once again that he can play as he begins his fifth NBA season.
“I have nothing against Chicago or anything like that,” he said. “I’m just coming here, new start, so I’m excited and trying to show everybody, but most importantly to my teammates and myself that I can play at a high level every day.”
