Following his first All-Star appearance, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen is a strong candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award.
Markkanen became the first NBA player to record over 100 dunks and 200 threes (most by a 7-footer) in a season. He’s the only player this season averaging over 25 points on 50 percent from the field and over 39 percent from beyond the arc.
He’s also one of only five qualified players (Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant) this year, averaging 25-plus points with a true shooting percentage of 64 percent or better.
With the end of the regular season nearing, Markkanen spoke with HoopsHype during a sitdown interview to discuss his career journey through Chicago and Cleveland to get to this point, his relationship with Will Hardy, how Utah has defied tanking expectations, his long-term future with the Jazz, the Finland national team, and more.