True 7-Footer who moves like he does, can get good shots in the paint, shoots the 3... If he stays out of foul trouble, could be long-term solution at the running 5 in this Rocket offense. Have no idea if any declaration has been rumored...
He's shooting over 50% from three-point range, which is pretty crazy. I think the question with him will be his toughness traits -- rebounding, rim protection and the things you like you see out of a center. But I've been watching some of his highlights and he does look to have a bright future. I could see him moving up.
Also, he's a 7' forward playing next to a 7' center. So he knows how to play next to other bigs. All this makes him a perfect fit in MDA's system. The only problem is that when he enters the draft, we won't have a high enough pick to get him.
I've been following Lauri Maekkanen as well. He's way out of our range. Currently projected to go number 9 in the lottery on both NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com. His NBA comparison is interesting... NBA Comparison: Nikola Mirotic/Ryan Anderson http://www.nbadraft.net/players/lauri-markkanen
Lightning up in EuroBasket tournament against grown ass men. He's averaging 24.3 points & 7.7 rebounds per game, with a stunning 53.8% from behind the arc on a 4.3 attempts per game (in 3 games). This kid is for real.
Dude, Bill Walton is awesome. TNT should have him back to do the lackluster games. I'd tune in to watch Pistons vs Grizzlies just to hear Bill yell "throw it down big man!" one time and explain "coppertone defense" to the uninitiated.
I am back pedalling a tad........ those crazy shooting Euros could end up Allstars or Busts. Not much grey area.
The guy can play and he is more than capable, and most importantly, he is willing to be more than a once trick pony. In college Miller was slowly working him into playing on the block. He is a willing defensive player and rebounder...he isn't shy about getting in the mix. I wish he would have stayed another year in college but it makes sense. The only area I thought he really needed to improve upon was knowing when to take over. There were a few games where he would hesitate of pass on taking a shot in key situations. I think he just overthought things too much at times but that's certainly not a bad thing at times.
He won't be any good until he leaves the Bulls. Lauri Maekkanen will be their 2nd best center ever if he just steps on the court. The Bulls are clueless when it comes to big men. They'll be like, "we see you as... wait for it.. the next Luc Longley! What do you think?" Lauri Maekkanen blinks repeatedly while staring into the distance.
