The Jazz found a new star in Lauri Markkanen this past season. The former lottery pick revived his career in Utah under new head coach Will Hardy and emerged as a top young player in the league. Following his career year, many believed Markkanen would be named to an All-NBA Team after the season came to an end.
The 2022–23 Kia All-NBA Teams were announced on Wednesday night, and the results may not be what Jazz fans want to hear.
Lauri Markkanen not named to an All-NBA team
The Arizona product averaged 25.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 49.9% from the field and 39.2% from three-point range across 66 games for the Jazz. As a true seven-footer, Markkanen showed just how versatile he can be and why Utah should look to build around him in the future. A large part of the reason why the rebuild for the Jazz seems to be coming along a lot quicker than expected.
Despite his breakout year, Markkanen did not receive an All-NBA nod for any of the three teams. Although it may come as a shock to some, the elite competition for these awards makes them very hard to earn.
The Finnish native did receive votes in the process and actually received the most votes among forwards not selected to an All-NBA team. Markkanen received 37 total votes, 31 votes for the All-NBA Third Team, and 6 votes for the All-NBA Second Team, totaling 49 points in the voting process.
All-NBA Team voting. Lauri Markkanen was a distant seventh among the forwards, getting six Second Team votes and 31 Third Team votes. pic.twitter.com/yNxLDxyGkn
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) May 10, 2023
Nonetheless, there’s no reason for Jazz fans or the young forward to hang their heads. Markkanen’s big year is only the beginning, and if he continues to improve and make jumps like he did this past season, an All-NBA team is in the big man’s near future. If Utah continues to build around their new cornerstone and maximize his potential, perhaps the Jazz star will find himself on an All-NBA first team sooner rather than later.