Five years before he became an All-Star and the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2023, Lauri Markkanen was finding his footing as a lottery pick for the Chicago Bulls. The seventh overall selection in the 2017 draft started all 68 games he suited up in during his rookie campaign, including against the Charlotte Hornets when he trailed a transition attack up the court, caught a pass at the foul line and showed serious hops by rising up and landing a powerful one-handed throwdown. Markkanen tallied 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals on February 27, 2018, and his season averages of 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game landed him a spot on the 2018 NBA All-Rookie First Team. · Feb 28, 2018