Lauri Markkanen gave NBA fans a taste of what's likely to come this season. Following a disappointing third season with the Utah Jazz, Markkanen put the league on notice when he dominated in the 2025 EuroBasket. While things are looking up for the Jazz star, ESPN ranked him surprisingly low after his performance, showing that Markkanen still has some work to do.
Markkanen was ranked No. 43 among ESPN's Top 100 NBA players - surprise surprise, he is the only Jazzman on the list - which is ten spots lower than his previous ranking in 2024. Ramona Shelburne explained why Markkanen fell through the cracks.
"Markkanen didn't quite reach expectations last season in Utah after signing a monster extension in the offseason, playing in just 47 games and averaging 19 points and just 5.9 rebounds for the tanking Jazz. That's as much on the Jazz as it is Markkanen, who reminded everyone this summer just how versatile and dangerous he can be," Shelburne wrote.
Markkanen was ranked behind the likes of OG Anunoby (41), Aaron Gordon (40), Ivica Zubac (36), and Derrick White (26), all of whom are excellent players, mind you, but Markkanen was an all-star in 2023. He was the NBA's Most Improved Player two years ago. He is capable of putting up 20-30 on any given night, and with nothing holding him back, he is a problem for the opposition.
So was the ranking unfair? Honestly... no.
Markkanen had a fairly disappointing all-around season, largely due to his injuries and the Jazz's tank. Just because a player has a reputation doesn't mean he automatically gets high rankings and accolades. As fantastic as Markkanen was a few weeks ago, he must continue the good times when the NBA season begins.
This gives Markkanen good bulletin board material
ESPN dropping him below some of the NBA's most elite role players should good enough Markkanen enough motivation to re-establish himself as an All-Star this season. He shouldn't be content with dominating only internationally. Luckily, he's never been the lazy type, so this is the perfect opportunity for him to show what he's made of.
It may be a minute before Markkanen reclaims the respect he once had as a star, but hey, it took much longer than that for him to become one in the first place. If he's done it before, he can do it again. He clearly played with a chip on his shoulder during EuroBasket. Even if he's on the worst team in the NBA this season, there's no reason he shouldn't do more of the same.
And for what it's worth, he ranked higher than Rudy Gobert...