In the Utah Jazz’s final practice before Wednesday night’s season opener against the Sacramento Kings, head coach Will Hardy was blunt about what All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen was in for.
“This year is going to be hard for Lauri,” he said.
When Markkanen joined the Jazz last year in the aftermath of the Donovan Mitchell trade, there was curiosity about whether his ensuing standout performance at the EuroBasket tournament could translate to him becoming a leading man in the NBA, but it was hardly a certainty.
Now, a year later, with an All-Star Game appearance and a Most Improved Player award to his credit, perception about him has shifted.
And as a result, so will the way that games unfold for him.
“One, he’s a marked man on the scouting report in a way that he wasn’t at the beginning of last season. Two, because there are expectations for him, there’s going to be a different level of scrutiny,” Hardy said Wednesday. “And that’s hard, and that’s going to be something that he’s going to have to adjust to.”
The coach added that, in terms of on-court adjustments, he’ll be looking for Markkanen to have transition more of an emphasis because … scoring will become significantly harder. Getting a few easier baskets, perhaps a couple extra trips to the free-throw line as a result of running and putting pressure upon defenders will give him a pathway to maintaining his scoring productivity.
In the Jazz’s 130-114 loss to the Kings at the Delta Center, Utah was pretty thoroughly outplayed. And, true to Hardy’s prediction, Markkanen was the focus of an altogether different level of attention.
He did register a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, but he shot just 6 of 15 from the floor and 2 of 6 from deep.
The Kings did their best to keep him uncomfortable with myriad different looks. It wasn’t a wholly new experience — it’s not like he didn’t get double-teams last season, after all.
But this will be different.
“Yeah, I mean, they started making changes obviously during the last year, too. And we kind of knew what was going to come, so no surprises there,” Markkanen said postgame. “But I think that’s a good challenge for me. I’m not gonna put my head down if I make a mistake or whatever. I’m here to get better every day.”
His teammates know it’s coming, too.
“Obviously, with the year he had last year, guys are going to try to attack him and make everything as tough as possible for him,” said John Collins. “So definitely an adjustment for him being ‘the guy,’ as he is, and an adjustment for him as well to have that target on his back.”
They saw it happen against Sacramento. But they also think that Markkanen is ready.
“Lauri handled it well. The situation that we were dealing with tonight, he was never down, he always kept his character high, kept playing hard, his energy was right,” said Kris Dunn. “And you know, when shots make [or] miss, that’s just how the game goes.”
That latter point is a salient one.
Yes, Markkanen made only 40% of his shots against a swarming defense bent on stopping him.
But he wasn’t that far removed from putting up a stat line that normally would be completely decent.
“Yeah, I thought he did a pretty good job. He missed a couple of bunnies that he normally makes, his first couple looks at the game from 3 were wide-open and they just didn’t go in,” Hardy said. “You know, obviously 6 for 15 is not the standard that Lauri has set for himself, but again, two shots from four feet go in and all of a sudden you’re shooting over 50%.”
Wednesday’s game was a microcosm of the challenges to come.
But it’s also a forest-for-the-trees situation.
Hardy’s bigger picture is on managing “Lauri’s headspace and the emotions that are going to come up for him this year.”
He wants Markkanen to be prepared for the defensive attention, to be prepared for the potential criticism that will come with subpar production and results.
Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) guards Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
The forward being able to “maintain his normal, steady, level head,” as Hardy put it, will be important only for his own productivity, but for setting an important tone within a locker room that the coach conceded is populated by introverts.
He expects that how Markkanen reacts in difficult situations soon enough will rub off on everyone else.
“You don’t always choose to be the leader, and Lauri is the leader. And the guys look to him in tough moments,” said Hardy. “And so there could be something going on in his game where he doesn’t feel good, and the way that he carries himself in those hard moments is not just going to impact his own play, but it’s going to impact the rest of our team. And he knows that, he and I’ve talked about that a lot, I think he’s ready for that responsibility.
“… It’s a very different situation to be on a team when you have to be far more focused on how you’re presenting yourself to everybody else, as opposed to just everyday being focused about yourself,” he added. “There’s a real selflessness that comes with being a good leader, and I think Lauri’s ready for that.”
He’s got 81 more games of the same upcoming.
