Was NBA99's ranking of Lauri Markkanen the right or wrong spot for the Finnisher?

The Utah Jazz have an All-Star forward with Lauri Markkanen. He's a 7'0 forward, from Finland and has developed into one of the best offensive scoring machines in the NBA. His ability to finish on offense has granted him the nickname of the Finnisher, a play on his country of origin and his offensive acumen. He was an All-Star in the 2022-2023 season and likely should have been again in 2023-2024, but was snubbed.

The Jazz have a real baller in Markkanen, someone who can make the Jazz a true and dynamic playoff team, but they haven't put the talent around him to succeed, so it has, at times, marred how some in the NBA media few him. This has some to believe Markkanen is anywhere from a Top 20 player to a Top 50 player, depending on who you ask.

We think he's closer to the Top 20 of the NBA than anywhere else, but we're just one voice in the conversation. Our new sibling site, NBA99, has a very different placement of Markkanen. They had Markkanen ranked No. 35 behind Chet Holmgren, Zion Williamson, Scottie Barnes, Victor Wembanyama, Trae Young, Rudy Gobert, and James Harden.

All guys who I would not take over Markkanen. Some, like Holmgren and Wembanyama, may be elite players, but right now they're not. To think that Markkanen isn't one of the 30 best players in the league is wild, especially with his mult-level offense, a rarity in the NBA, especially among those that are 7'0.

The outlet does rave about his ability to score and cites his skillset of putting up near 50/40/90 shooting splits, an elite level of production. We believe, firmly, that not only is Markkanen a much higher player in the NBA than No. 35, but a playoff run will help prove such a claim.

Hopefully the Jazz are able to do just that in 2024-2025 season.