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What is Lauri Markkanen's best long term position on the team?

R

RyGuy

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So I've been thinking a lot about roster construction and the best lineups to use obviously this season and moving forward and I'm wondering where Lauri fits best? Obviously he is very versatile and it's super important to play position less basketball nowadays but one thing is evident right now - Lauri isn't a playmaker and can't create for himself or really others. He needs to be set up. Maybe he makes progress in this area throughout the season but maybe not.

If he doesn't develop this part of his game is he best suited at the 3 where is has a big size advantage or would he best be suited at the 4 or 5? Honestly the Jazz really need a playmaking wing. Ideally someone like a younger Gordon Hayward. Even though the point guard position is the hot button topic right now I do feel that will eventually be worked out with Keyonte George taking over sooner rather than later.

I think the ideal future best lineup will be having Lauri at the 5 with a dynamic playmaker at the 3 (someone like a Gordon Hayward) with Keyonte at the 1 with Taylor Hendricks at the 4 and Ochai at the 2. I also don't know if Walker Kessler is the long term piece at the 5?
 
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Tremendous Upside said:
Let's end the SF charade. IMO Lauri is clearly a 4/5 whose biggest strength is running the floor and cutting hard to the basket. The "big lineup" where Kessler plays the 5, Collins floats somewhere in the corner and Lauri stands at the perimeter, waiting in vain for one of the guards to pass him the ball so he can launch a frustrated 3pt shot, just doesn't work.
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Agreed. IMO he is pretty solidly a 4. But if not a 4, then a 5.
 
I think it's more about what type of players you want to surround him with than what specific position he plays. I think he makes a better secondary rim protector than primary rim protector. He likes to get to the rim and so you want to surround him with guys that can space the floor to give him room. He prefers to be set up and so giving him guys that can get him the ball is also important. Also, as a reminder, even though he is tall, his arms are short, much shorter than most NBA centers I would guess.
 
SoberasHotRod said:
Also, as a reminder, even though he is tall, his arms are short, much shorter than most NBA centers I would guess.
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Yeah. Still, if you're a 7 footer with a meh wingspan, your wingspan and reach are still pretty big

Sabonis has a below average wingspan as well (almost the same as Lauri, IIRC). Neither of these dudes is what you'd call a rim protector, but I think there was a stat last season that said Lauri actually did surprisingly well guarding the low post 1-on-1.
 
Tremendous Upside said:
Yeah. Still, if you're a 7 footer with a meh wingspan, your wingspan and reach are still pretty big

Sabonis has a below average wingspan as well (almost the same as Lauri, IIRC). Neither of these dudes is what you'd call a rim protector, but I think there was a stat last season that said Lauri actually did surprisingly well guarding the low post 1-on-1.
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It wouldn't surprise me. Lauri is strong and can jump, but I don't think you want him banging down low all game either.
 
Let's say Keyonte George becomes the starting point guard after 10 or 20 games. While that will certainly help with setting not just Lauri up but all the guys I still feel we need more playmaking in the lineup. Most good teams have one of their forwards be a secondary ball handler/playmaker.

The Jazz forwards are big but not playmakers. This brings up the uncomfortable question of can Lauri play with Kessler or Hendricks? If Lauri is a long term piece which I think he is then is Kessler? Is Hendricks? Where's the secondary playmaker coming from? Kelly Olynyk is solid but he's not a long term piece.

I don't think he's currently on the roster. It also makes me appreciate just how valuable Gordon Hayward was when he was here. Also Joe Ingles
 
RyGuy said:
Let's say Keyonte George becomes the starting point guard after 10 or 20 games. While that will certainly help with setting not just Lauri up but all the guys I still feel we need more playmaking in the lineup. Most good teams have one of their forwards be a secondary ball handler/playmaker.

The Jazz forwards are big but not playmakers. This brings up the uncomfortable question of can Lauri play with Kessler or Hendricks? If Lauri is a long term piece which I think he is then is Kessler? Is Hendricks? Where's the secondary playmaker coming from? Kelly Olynyk is solid but he's not a long term piece.

I don't think he's currently on the roster. It also makes me appreciate just how valuable Gordon Hayward was when he was here. Also Joe Ingles
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I think the probability that we have a fleet of decent secondary playmakers is much higher than the probability of us having a prospect that’s the primary playmaker of the future.
 
I think he is best suited to play the stretch 4. The problem is we have John Collins now also and drafted Hendricks. Not sold on Hendricks playing the 3.

If OG becomes available I think him playing next to Lauri would be ideal.

If George is the future at PG and Agbaji the future at the 2 we have a pretty solid starting 5 in IMHO.

I would like to see a little bigger guard but agbaji is not awful.

Lauri can be on the floor with Collins at the same time.
 
It does not matter what position he plays, it's the players around him. Offensively, Lauri is probably one of the easiest players in the league to play with. He can do almost everything and he barely touches the ball. Perfect for a heliocentric, ball dominant player. That player just needs to be better than the Sexton/THT/Dunn tier.

Defensively, he's neither a primary wing defender or primary rim protector. He can do those things in a pinch, but it's not ideal. Ideally you have someone who is a true rim protector/rebounder as well as someone else who can be a primary wing defender. He's probably best guarding the worst player on the other team and roaming with his size and athleticism.
 
RyGuy said:
Let's say Keyonte George becomes the starting point guard after 10 or 20 games. While that will certainly help with setting not just Lauri up but all the guys I still feel we need more playmaking in the lineup. Most good teams have one of their forwards be a secondary ball handler/playmaker.

The Jazz forwards are big but not playmakers. This brings up the uncomfortable question of can Lauri play with Kessler or Hendricks? If Lauri is a long term piece which I think he is then is Kessler? Is Hendricks? Where's the secondary playmaker coming from? Kelly Olynyk is solid but he's not a long term piece.

I don't think he's currently on the roster. It also makes me appreciate just how valuable Gordon Hayward was when he was here. Also Joe Ingles
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He can definitely play with Kessler or Hendricks, but both at the same time? It makes it very difficult to fill the rest of the lineup. Lauri is all all star, Kessler is a really good player, and Hendricks might be a player....but that's 3 guys who do not play with the ball in their hands and are also not perimeter defenders. Hendricks might....but not looking good at the moment. You're basically asking for the guards to both be great with the ball and be great defenders. And with Kessler, they've probably got to be able to shoot too. That's not a combo that exists very often.
 
It is pretty clear that the Jazz are imagining Hendicks as a 3 and are playing him there. He'd struggle a lot less as a 4, but they are still making him a 3, which seems to signal they want Lauri as a 4 long term.
 
framer said:
It is pretty clear that the Jazz are imagining Hendicks as a 3 and are playing him there. He'd struggle a lot less as a 4, but they are still making him a 3, which seems to signal they want Lauri as a 4 long term.
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Eh, his role on offense is going to be the same no matter what. He's a standstill shooter. I don't think that even people who were high on him saw much else in his game. Defensively, he's whatever he ends up good at. He needs to find a way to contribute on that end. Don't think he's good at guarding bigger guys, smaller guys, or helping off the ball at this point.
 
KqWIN said:
Eh, his role on offense is going to be the same no matter what. He's a standstill shooter. I don't think that even people who were high on him saw much else in his game. Defensively, he's whatever he ends up good at. He needs to find a way to contribute on that end. Don't think he's good at guarding bigger guys, smaller guys, or helping off the ball at this point.
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He's an lengthy, athletic 19 year old who can shoot. I'm not sure anybody knows what he is going to be yet.
 
To answer the original question... I would say it's the Reverse Finish Cow......boy oh boy I read this thread the wrong way.

Ummm... I think his best position is as a long term extension player with the Jazz on a favorable contract.
 
framer said:
It is pretty clear that the Jazz are imagining Hendicks as a 3 and are playing him there. He'd struggle a lot less as a 4, but they are still making him a 3, which seems to signal they want Lauri as a 4 long term.
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Now if they do that is Kessler apart of the starting lineup? Because if the answer is yes then there's not enough playmaking in the front court. Ultimately I don't think all three of Lauri, Hendricks, and Kessler and coexist together. I understand they haven't yet but their skillets don't mess well. They all need someone else to create for them. I think Kessler ends up being the odd man out and the Jazz move Lauri to the 5 with Hendricks at the 4 and bring in a dynamic wing for the 3. Play 5 out
 
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