Cavs: Lauri Markkanen could end up being seamless fit

It’s clear that Lauri Markkanen should help provide a boost for the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ perimeter shooting efforts next season. Markkanen, who was a sign-and-trade acquisition from the Chicago Bulls, has been a player that’s had issues with injuries, sure.

The 24-year-old is fully healthy, though, looked very sharp and was firing with precision from three-point range in the team’s Wine and Gold Scrimmage on Saturday, and with him still young, he could just fine looking onward.

We’ll have to see if that plays out, and Markkanen, to go with Jarrett Allen, had reportedly had minor ankle concerns, but Markkanen appeared all squared away.

As we alluded to, the former Bull would seem to be a crucial perimeter shooter looking onward for Cleveland, too, and despite a bit of a dip in overall production, he did hit a healthy 40.2 percent of his 5.8 three-point attempts per game last season.

His play in that Wine and Gold Scrimmage, while it was only an intrasquad scrimmage, was a positive sign as well, and in this coming season, I’d expect him to be a go-to bench catch-and-shoot target in his minutes. He’ll seemingly be set for a sixth man-type role, with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, most notably, in the fold, but Markkanen will get his opportunities.

In a general sense, anyway, I could also foresee him meshing really well, thanks to off-ball/spacing abilities and with him being able to help some offense for himself as a threat which could, in turn, aid others.

Cavs: Markkanen could end up being a seamless fit with the team, and make a difference for other guys in the process.

To first get it out there, I don’t personally think it’d be concerning if Markkanen were to get off to a bit of a slow start to the upcoming season.

That’s with him still being in a new situation and having a mostly-new set of teammates, aside from Denzel Valentine, whose deal is partially-guaranteed, and with Markkanen potentially taking some time before he really gets comfortable.

Perhaps I could be wrong, though, and he can have a productive preseason, the ankle holds up, of which that seems mostly fine anyhow, and maybe he is hitting at a high clip from the outset.

Overall, as the upcoming season plays out and/or looking onward, it does seem that Markkanen could end up being essentially a seamless fit, and his presence could end up helping a variety of other Cavs, such as Darius Garland, Collin Sexton and others. The same could seemingly go for Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and bench guys, such as Ricky Rubio, and perhaps Lamar Stevens/Dylan Windler.

Markkanen has shown some off-movement shooting abilities, is a timely cutter off-ball, which could aid Garland, Rubio and Isaac Okoro, and ball-swings/kickouts to Markkanen could aid a number of Cavs.

Last year, while there were some inconsistencies, and a role change to him eventually coming off the bench, particularly post-Nikola Vucevic trade, Markkanen did still place in the 81st percentile in spot-up situations, per Synergy Sports.

That in set offense could give Cleveland a jolt when he’s in there, as we touched on. Along with that element, though, also factoring in how he can at times put the ball on the deck and create for himself, Markkanen could help out the Cavs’ transition efforts as a trailer/driver, too.

Granted, it will likely take some time for him to get comfortable, in my opinion, but fairly early on, Markkanen could end up being a seamless fit with other Cavaliers, to a large degree.

If the shooting capabilities and off-ball work does pop, that could lead to him being a go-to option for stretches, in non-Sexton stretches, in that sense.

But to me, Markkanen could be a big-time sixth man-type guy, if he can stay healthy, and if needed, could start here and there for the Cavs, clearly.