Lauri Markkanen just proved he's exactly what the Jazz have been searching for

Enough has been said about how the Utah Jazz are not trading Lauri Markkanen. Enough has been said about how he's looking like his old self in EuroBasket. What he and Finland just proved is exactly what the Jazz are looking for: a star who can guide the Jazz to an exciting future.

Markkanen and Finland just topped Serbia - eliminating them in the process - in what was considered one of the biggest upsets in EuroBasket history.

Markkanen was certainly not alone in Finland's efforts, but as his statline above would indicate, it's fair to suggest that they would not have won without him.

People may say, "Yeah, but so what?" in reaction to this, but Serbia was considered the favorites in the tournament because they have Nikola Jokic. Finland beating Serbia to advance in the EuroBasket tournament is more or less the NBA equivalent of the Jazz beating the Nuggets to advance in the playoffs.

No, that's not going to happen with those teams as currently constructed this season, but Markkanen's ability to help Finland pull this off shows exactly why the Jazz should trust what he can do when he's on the floor.

Everyone knows the rare talent that Markkanen has, but to be able to do what he just did in such high stakes - the last time Finland beat Serbia in the EuroBasket tournament was 2008 - shows that Utah should trust their Finnish star to thrive in a playoff setting.

The playoffs are when stars get to show who they truly are when the going gets super tough. Markkanen being able to pull off a David vs. Goliath in the EuroBasket serves as good evidence that he can step up to the plate when his team needs him the most.

A sad fact about him is that he's never made the postseason in his career. However, if and when he does, Jazz fans should be confident in his abilities after today if they weren't before.

It's too bad making the playoffs will take a while for Utah

Because Utah has fewer veterans and more youth this coming season, the odds of them making the playoffs are next to nothing unless the majority of their youth blossom this season. Because of that, it might be another year or two before Markkanen gets his first taste of the playoffs.

It's for that reason that there will be plenty of speculation about whether Utah trades Markkanen this season. The Jazz have indicated since his transformation into a star that it would take a monster offer for that to happen. That won't stop the rampant trade rumors that are sure to come, and it's a shame that it may be a while before Markkanen can showcase his abilities in a playoff setting.

After the story he's had in Utah, he definitely deserves it. Here's to hoping it won't be too long before he can.