SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 24, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Lauri Markkanen added another souvenir from his first season with the Utah Jazz, capping his breakout year by winning the NBA Most Improved Player award Monday.
Markkanen accepted the award via live video from his home country of Finland, where he’s fulfilling a six-month military service commitment. It was about 2 a.m. in Finland when the NBA announced he’d won the award over finalists Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City) and Jalen Brunson (New York), he said.
“It feels amazing,” he said. “It feels great. I didn’t wake up at 2 a.m. for nothing.”
Markkanen called it a “huge privilege to be in this position” to win the Most Improved Player award, and he thanked “everybody back in Utah who made this possible, and my family.” He’s the first player in franchise history to win the award.
The Jazz acquired Markkanen, 25, from the Cleveland Cavaliers prior to last season in the blockbuster trade for Donovan Mitchell, becoming the 7-footer’s third NBA team as he entered his sixth season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves used the seventh pick in the 2017 NBA Draft to select the University of Arizona star but sent him to the Chicago Bulls in a draft-night trade. He played four seasons in Chicago before being traded to Cleveland in August 2021.
While Markkanen showed promise as a consistent scoring threat in his four seasons with the Bulls and one with the Cavs, few NBA insiders or experts at the time expected Utah and Cleveland to be swapping one All-Star for another.
Markkanen thrived following the offseason trade to the Jazz, averaging career-highs in points (25.6), shot attempts (17.3) and minutes (34.4) per game, as well as field goal (49.9%) and free throw (87.5%) shooting. He also averaged 8.6 rebounds per game and connected on 39.2% of his 3-point shots.
Markkanen’s numbers improved across the board from his single season in Cleveland, where he averaged 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 44.5% from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range.
Markkanen also had a strong showing over the summer at EuroBasket 2022, averaging 23 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while leading Finland to its first quarterfinals appearance.
Sporting a close-cropped haircut as required by the Finnish military, Markkanen credited his success to getting the right opportunity in Utah.
“I think [it’s] just everything, being in the right place at the right time really, and just having the big summer [to] build up my confidence before before the season,” Markkanen told “NBA on TNT” after the award was announced. “And then getting into the system that coach [Will] Hardy told me the first day, ‘Just do whatever you did in EuroBasket and do that here.'”
Markkanen also talked about his active military service, which is mandatory for all male citizens of Finland and must be completed before age 30.
“Days are pretty long. We wake up early and go for probably 10, 12 hours straight, but it’s been fun,” he said.
Hardy credited Markkanen’s breakout season to his continued work on the “different ways he can impact the game offensively.”
“Obviously, he’s shown the ability to shoot the ball,” the first-year Jazz coach said. “But the physicality he’s been able to play with, to drive the ball and as a screener, has given him the opportunity to score in a variety of ways.”
Markkanen also was selected as an NBA All-Star for the first time, representing the host Jazz as the festivities returned to Salt Lake City. He also participated in the 3-Point Contest on All-Star Weekend, marking the 30th anniversary of the 1993 event in Utah.
Markkanen thanked Jazz fans in a video message the team posted on social media.
“Jazz fans, thank you for your support,” he said. “I couldn’t do it without you. This is just the beginning and I can’t wait to see you again next year.”
