Why the 2022-2023 season is huge for Cavs’ Lauri Markkanen

Markkanen must improve defensively to be more viable in his Cavs role

On the offensive end, it’s a huge year for “the Finnisher.” However, his long-term role in this organization might hinge on his ability to be a good defensive contributor on a team led by the defensive-minded Bickerstaff.

Markkanen needs to learn how to use his length to his advantage on the defensive end. On top of that, he can be more aggressive than he has been in previous years, simply because he knows he has Mobley and Allen behind him to protect the rim, ideally.

Now, there were some positive strides from Markkanen it seemed on-ball last season, but going forward, he needs to be more consistent. It’s something to watch in that realm, clearly.

I’m not going to go out on a limb and say this is a make-or-break year for Markkanen. Hell, he’s a five-year veteran who’s never averaged less than 13.5 points per game during his career. However, having said that, there are always places to improve, and those I mentioned are especially important for the Cavalier organization.

The Cavs front office probably thinks they struck gold with the “big” philosophy, and in a sense they did. But, now we are nearly a year later following that Markkanen sign-and-trade acquisition, and teams will start to figure out how to beat them.

If the Cavaliers want to finally rid themselves of rebuilding for good, it’s a pivotal season from the one and only, “Finnisher.”