Jazz's controversial Lauri Markkanen strategy vindicated by wild numbers

There's no getting around this. It's frustrating to watch Lauri Markkanen on the bench for supposed "injuries" again and again, but everyone knows why the Utah Jazz are doing it: benching him gives them more ping pong balls in the lottery.

Why not trade him then? Well, besides the low likelihood that Utah would get a player as good as him (let alone better), their plan is to flip things next season. Certain numbers show why the Jazz want to keep Markkanen around in the long term while also keeping him on the bench in the short term.

The X account Basketball University basically explains the entire Markkanen ordeal in Utah (this was before Utah's game against Toronto).

Numbers like these also reveal something about net rating. It typically does a pretty good job painting a good picture of a player's impact. However, those same numbers be a little deceptive which can lead to people misunderstanding them.

The Jazz are *technically* not good when Markkanen is on the floor, but that doesn't mean they are worse when he is playing. They are actually leagues better when he is on the floor, meaning the point of emphasis is that they are downright terrible when he is not playing. It more shows how bad their supporting cast is.

Thus showing that the Jazz have every reason to believe that when they start their engines next season, Markkanen will be leading the way. They should have a better squad next season, with Walker Kessler, a big-name free agent addition, and a lottery pick to add to their current core. Once they do, Markkanen's net rating impact should look more positive overall.

It's a painful strategy, but it should pay off in the end

It's tough to see Markkanen be a part-time player, but looking at the glass half-full, it will be worth it in the end because Utah definitely has a building block in him. When he does play, he shows the kind of electric player he is.

It will be a painful two and a half months, but hey, it's only for two and a half months. Once this season is over, the real games begin for both Markkanen and the Jazz. It will be five years in the making, which yes, is hard to say out loud, but it will be the moment fans have been waiting for.

There's a really solid chance Markkanen could be a Jazz all-timer once they start vying for the playoffs. What's hurt his legacy in Utah has been factors beyond his control. Once he gets the team he's deserved for quite some time,