I’m not going to say that Lauri Markkanen has been lighting it up as a catch-and-shoot player this season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired him via sign-and-trade from the Chicago Bulls this past offseason.
Markkanen has averaged 13.4 points per contest, and has hit only 30.6 percent from three-point range. Those are both career-lows to this point, and nearing the halfway point of the 2021-22 season, his true shooting rate of 52.5 percent is on track for a career-worst as well.
Markkanen has unfortunately connected on just 11-of-54 percent of his three-point attempts in the last 11 games for Cleveland, a 20.4 percent clip, also. He’s been cold as a catch-and-shoot player in the past few weeks, which has been tough to watch, and the former Bull needs to be more consistent as the season wears on here.
Objectively, though, Markkanen did have a few very productive outings early on, and then, after Kevin Love did, was placed into COVID-19 health and safety protocols, leading to an extended absence in November. That didn’t help, for one.
Plus, Markkanen has had to adjust this season with him often playing with other bigs in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and at least some in recent games, both Ricky Rubio and Darius Garland being out didn’t aid him from a primary playmaking perspective. Garland is back now from health and safety protocols, on a positive note, and even with Rubio out for the rest of the season because of a torn ACL, veteran trade acquisition Rajon Rondo can help Markkanen as a shooting, cutting and occasional post-up presence.
Now, I do acknowledge that Markkanen, who is on the books for $15.7 million this season, needs to be more consistent. Even still, it’s apparent that the Cavs should stick with him as a starter, despite the play of Kevin Love and Cedi Osman off the bench this season.
Despite his perimeter shooting inconsistencies, the Cavs still need to have Markkanen starting.
As we alluded to, Markkanen has been very underwhelming from three-point range, given his natural shooting abilities, including off movement, and with how despite a role change post-trade deadline especially last season with Chicago moving to the bench, he did shoot 40.2 percent from three. That was a career-best.
Point being, the dude needs to have more consistency as a perimeter shooter for the Wine and Gold, regardless of the role adjustment and with him often playing with Mobley and Allen. It’s not as if Markkanen hasn’t had a number of clankers even on wide-open deep attempts in recent weeks.
All of that said, despite his shooting woes in recent weeks, and at other points in the season, it’s still clear to me that Markkanen needs to remain in the starting unit.
This keeps the bench roles intact for the Cavs, and Markkanen is still a key floor spacer
Markkanen has received his share of criticism from those in the Cavs Twitterverse, but he’s still their best option as a de facto 3, and him there keeps the bench roles intact.
As an aside, Cedi Osman, who recently returned from health and safety protocols on Friday in Cleveland’s win at the Portland Trail Blazers (albeit a very depleted Blazers) could maybe be an option to fill in at the 2 with Isaac Okoro out for a few weeks still. That’s with Collin Sexton having been out for the rest of the year since early November.
I’d still personally rather Lamar Stevens fill in there until Okoro returns, though, because of defensive versatility, and Osman still could come in as a bench shooter, where he’s given the Cavaliers a lift often this season.
Even with Cedi knocking in 40.5 percent from three this season, of which is a career-best, though, him at the 3 over Markkanen doesn’t seem like a reliable option. Markkanen’s length is still impactful defensively, and Osman is not nearly the interior presence, nor close to the finisher of Markkanen. Markkanen is still more of a legitimate floor spacer, too, and is more established in that way than Dean Wade, even with me not discounting Wade’s contributions as a rotational player, and defender.
From there, while I get Kevin Love has been red-hot lately, and with Evan Mobley’s versatility, those two with Jarrett Allen could be an interesting mix starting games, Love with those two I don’t love that much. Furthermore, Love has been so effective coming in as a supersub shooter, and was on fire in December, to echo what KJG’s own John Suchan detailed.
Along with that, even with more minutes for him of late, partly due previously to players being in COVID-19 protocols, Love as a bench guy, where he’s had 14.5 points per game and hit 42.6 percent from three, is still much better for the overall team. That still helps preserve Love, too.
We’ve still seen what Markkanen can provide when he’s on, and he should probably stick through the deadline, also
Even with Markkanen’s struggles, prior to this slump, he did still have a very hot stretch offensively coming out of protocols and leading into mid-December, and the hot shooting display from him was big for the Cavs. From Nov. 22-Dec. 15, he did have 14.6 points per game, and connected on 38.2 percent of his attempts from downtown.
Lastly, although Markkanen could theoretically be a darkhorse candidate to be traded as part of a package with the contracts of say, Sexton or Rubio, and/or with potential future draft compensation, I do still believe it’d behoove the Cavaliers to stick with him.
I would get it if the Cavs tried to pursue players such as Buddy Hield, Caris LeVert or Eric Gordon via trade, but I still have my doubts about guys such as Jaylen Brown or Brandon Ingram, ideal targets, being that available by the Feb. 10 trade deadline. I’m not sure Hield, LeVert or Gordon could really make the Cavaliers that much better, either. Cleveland’s bench would likely be more depleted in doing so, too, and I’m not crazy about moving Sexton still.
And even with some injury history with Chicago, Markkanen is still just 24, he can create some of his own offense, is much better in transition than given credit for, and the Cavs have had plenty of success with him starting with Mobley and Allen.
The Wine and Gold should keep going with Lauri in there starting, as I still do believe as his chemistry with others improves, we’ll see the shot come around more. The interior impact provided by the 7-footer from Finland has been more prevalent lately as well.