Controversial ex-NBA player gives Jazz's Lauri Markkanen high praise

Lauri Markkanen has unquestionably taken a leap since the Utah Jazz acquired him. He's played so well for the past two seasons that controversial former NBA player Patrick Beverley had some high praise for Markkanen.

Beverley named Markkanen among the top five power forwards in the NBA on his personal podcast.

"Karl-Anthony Towns, Zion [Williamson], Jaren Jackson, Lauri Markkanen, Draymond's definitely still got to be in there. That's my list."

The funny thing is, Beverley and Markkanen were once on the Jazz at the same time, as both were included in the packages for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, respectively. That was before the Jazz traded Beverley for the now-gone but not forgotten Talen Horton-Tucker. In short, Beverley is as much of a Jazz alum as Russell Westbrook.

Beverley is not an NBA player at the moment, as he signed overseas with Maccabi Tel Aviv during the 2024 NBA Offseason. While it's possible NBA teams don't believe Beverley can play at the level he once could, Beverley may have ended his career with his latest PR disaster in the closing minutes of the Bucks' postseason.

This was not Beverley's first offense, so NBA teams probably didn't think he was worth the headache. Even though Horton-Tucker didn't work out, the Jazz avoided a potential headache.

Beverley's not wrong about Markkanen

Without repeating what's been said about Markkanen because it goes without saying how good he is, Beverley's praise for Markkanen is pretty on point. It's not just that Markkanen is an NBA All-Star. It's how he's an NBA All-Star.

Even though the NBA has put a stronger emphasis on floor spacing at every position, including big men, Markkanen is one of the few who has mastered the notion of being a stretch big. He can shoot threes, but he can also create his own shot. While teams may have bigs who can space the floor, those bigs can't create their own shot like Markkanen can.

And it goes further than that. Markkanen's size and shot creation make him a dangerous player when he takes the floor, but it's also his versatility. Though he's classified as a power forward, Markkanen's one of the few players who can play both center and small forward.

Yes, it's true that Markkanen's ascension hasn't translated into much success for Utah yet. Still, there's a reason why they not only extended his contract while raising it but also signed him to a deal that would prevent them from trading him during the 2024-25 season.

It's because they believe exactly what Beverley is saying: that Lauri Markkanen is one of the best at what he does among the best players who play the same position as him.