The Utah Jazz are the talk of the league. Duck into the past 2-3 episodes of most every national podcast and you’ll find pleasantly surprised hosts and guests praising the franchise.
Everyone involved shares in the success of the season but Lauri Markkanen’s ascension is one of the primary reasons Utah has hit these heights.
With season averages of 22.3 pts, 8.4 rbs, 2.3 ast, and 2.0 tovs with 7.6% True Shooting above league average, he’s becoming a serious contender for the Most Improved Player (MIP) award.
His career high of 38 points in last weekend’s home win over the Phoenix Suns perfectly distills the new heights he’s reached in his 6th season.