Markkanen
“When it rains it pours,” said forward Thaddeus Young, who will start at power forward in place of Markkanen.
For a team hoping to take a step forward this season, Markkanen’s injury is a significant blow.
The Bulls were hoping Markkanen would continue to ascend in his third NBA season, rising to become a reliable second scoring option behind Zach LaVine. Instead Markkanen’s production has regressed. He has been subject to prolonged stretches on the bench — though he has insisted he’s not on a minutes restriction — and has gone scoreless in the second half in several games.
He is averaging 15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while playing 30.3 minutes. Those numbers are all down from last season when he averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in 32.3 minutes.
The news was fresh for Markkanen on Friday, so while he said he hadn’t had time to properly process it, he was disappointed at yet another season interrupted by injury. He wanted to play in all 82 games this season and continued to play through discomfort to do so, even when he appeared limited on the floor. These next few months could have provided an opportunity for him to begin turning his season around, but now he and the Bulls have to contend with a setback for the third straight season.
“It is disappointing,” Markkkanen said. “I just feel like I want to be out there to help the team.”
Injuries have already tested the Bulls depth this season, and with Markkanen sidelined they will be pushed even more. Young has been a starter for years and should slide into the starting lineup smoothly, but an already thin bench will feel almost certainly feel Markkanen’s absence.
“I’m not deterred one bit,” coach Jim Boylen said. “I’m disappointed for him. I know fans love watching him play. So I’m disappointed for that. But I’m not deterred in the least bit. As painful as it is, this is an opportunity for somebody else to establish themselves in the league and step up.”