After pushing a first-and-last trade with the Bulls in the past offseason, the Cavaliers got Laurie Markkanen as an "anti-aircraft" player with height and excellent hand, but Laurie Markkanen's role in this Cavaliers team is not just an outside shot.
So far this season, Laurie Markkanen has averaged 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for the Cavaliers, in addition to his only 30.6% performance outside the three-point line, both of which are the lowest points in Markkanen's career, and Markkanen's only 52.6% true shooting percentage so far this season is also expected to set a career record.
Not only that, but Laurie Markkanen's overall performance in recent times has been even worse. In the last 11 games for the Cavaliers, Markkanen has averaged only 11.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for the Cavaliers, including only 40.2% shooting and 20% three-point shooting.
And Laurie Markkanen's performance as a Cavaliers in the role of catching the ball is even worse, in the past 11 games, Markkanen has averaged 4.6 three-point shots per game, of which only 19.6% of the three-point shooting rate of the poor data performance. Simply put, Laurie Markkanen has been very cold in his hands in recent times, and as the season progresses, he definitely needs to play a more stable performance for the Cavaliers.
Objectively speaking, However, Laurie Marka did have a few games at the beginning of the season that played very well, but then his role was demoted behind Kevin Loafer, and after a long absence in November due to the triggering of the new coronavirus health and safety agreement, Markkanen was completely in trouble.
In addition, since Laurie Markkanen often needs to partner interior players such as Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in this Cavaliers team this season, he has also had to adjust his playing style on the court. Meanwhile, in some recent games, the absences of Ricky Rubio and Dalius Garland have left the Cavaliers with no other player in the Cavaliers who can help Markkanen in terms of organizational ability.
The good news is that even though Ricky Rubio was basically reimbursed for the season after suffering an ACL tear injury, after Garland's comeback and the Cavaliers signed players like Rajan Rondo, Markkanen was able to partner with the two players on the court and get the outside point guard to catch the ball and shoot, or even get the opportunity to cut into the basket or misplaced backstabbing after the block.
As a young player with an annual salary of $15.7 million, Laurie Markkanen definitely needs to play a more consistent performance this season, but before that, the Cavaliers should obviously stick to the rotation arrangement of keeping Markkanen in the starting lineup, that is, the Cavaliers need to keep Kevin Luck and Seddy Osman on the bench.
The Cavaliers still need to keep Markkanen in the starting lineup
As I mentioned earlier, Laurie Markkanen is definitely the biggest threat on the offensive end of any team given the threats of shooting ability, height and running position. It's only after being sent to the Bulls bench last season that Markkanen's three-point shooting performance has been less than ideal, but he does have the ability to do a 42.7 percent three-point shooting stat in the last 24 games he was sent to the bulls bench last season, while last season's 40.2 percent three-point shooting percentage was also the best data performance of his career.
So for Markkanen the focus of the rest of the season is that whether he adjusts his role or otherwise, he needs to be able to play a more consistent performance with his partners Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Because of this, while Laurie Markkanen has faced shooting problems in recent weeks, he is definitely the player the Cavaliers needs to stay in the starting lineup.
Markkanen stayed in the starting lineup for 2 big benefits
Even though Laurie Markkanen has been criticized by fans and the media recently, Laurie Markkanen is actually the best choice as the Cavaliers' starting No. 3 player, because Markkanen's stay in the starting lineup not only opens up space for the team, but also allows the Cavaliers to maintain the integrity of the bench lineup.
It's important to note that in the last two Cavaliers wins over the Blazers and the losing Warriors, Sedi Osman, who lifted the quarantine and re-issued the team's core lineup, may be ideal for the Cavaliers to fill the starting No. 2 position in the absence of Isaac O'Corro, not to mention that cavalier core backcourt Colin Sexton has been reimbursed for injury.
Of course, the Cavaliers still let Lamar Stevens fill the no. 2 starting position against the Blazers and Warriors, mainly because Lamar Stevens has better defensive all-rounders, and Sedi Osman can still serve as a core bench player on the bench and can really help the Cavaliers.
As for whether Seddy Osman should replace Laurie Markkanen's starting No. 3 position, even though Osman has been able to shoot a career high of 40% from 5.7 three-pointers per game so far this season, Markkanen's height arm span is still a player who can make a greater impact on the defensive end than Osman, and Osman's figure is still a bit difficult to compete with the flank players, and Osman is not a better scoring finisher than Markkanen. So in contrast, Markkanen is a better scoring threat on the court.
On the bench, Kevin Love seems to be the ideal person to replace Markkanen's starting vacancy, after all, Love and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen two all-round interior partners may allow the Cavaliers to build a more anticipated starting lineup. Just to be honest, after entering the bench, Love has been able to play more efficiently for the Cavaliers, at least from the perspective of the Cavaliers' rotation this season, Lefour will be more suitable to stay on the bench.
Statistically, 30 of the 32 games Love has played for the Cavaliers so far this season have been on the bench, and so far this season, they have averaged 14.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 21.6 minutes per game, and can also shoot 43.3% from the field and 41.7% from three-point range, which is undoubtedly a very efficient data performance.
Because of this, rather than sharing the ball with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup, Love on the bench can definitely play more efficient and comfortable performances, which is even more beneficial to the entire Cavaliers.
Could the Knights still keep Markkanen?
So even if Laurie Markkanen doesn't perform well, he can still have a very hot period on the offensive end before the recent downturn. From the start of the regular season until mid-December, Laurie Markkanen's fiery shooting form is still a very important part for the Cavaliers. From November 22 to December 15, U.S. time, Markkanen averaged 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, in addition to 46.1 percent shooting and 38.6 percent three-point shooting.
Whether the Cavaliers will keep Laurie Markkanen in the coming season will indeed be a question, after all, Markkanen's four-year contract worth a total of $67.47 million expires in 2025, but only $6 million is guaranteed in the final season. So theoretically, it is still possible for the Cavaliers to keep Laurie Markkanen in the team.
However, if the Cavaliers want to trade players like Buddy Hield, Caris Levert or Eric Gordon, then Markkanen can indeed be on the shelves, but a trade involving players like Jaylen Brown or Brandon Ingram is still a more ideal goal for the Cavaliers.
Even though he did suffer some injuries while playing for the Bulls, Markkanen is a 24-year-old young player who has the ability to create his own offense, while also doing much better on the defensive end than fans think, and partnering players such as Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in this Cavaliers team is also an ideal combination for the Cavaliers.
As the season progresses, when Laurie Markkanen has a better chemistry with the rest of the team, I believe he can also bring greater influence to this Cavaliers.