Before the 2017 draft, some people were saying that Lauri Markkanen could be the next Dirk Nowitzki.
Rick Carlisle, a former coach of the Dallas Mavericks, agrees with this comparison. He has believed that Lauri has a lot of potential and could become a player like Dirk.
According to Carlisle, Lauri Markkanen is a great young player. He’s 7 feet 3 inches tall and can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court.
“Lauri is a great young player, first of all. We’re talking about a 7-foot-3 guy who can really space the court and operate close to the basket.” Carlisle said.
Carlisle also believed that Lauri Markkanen is the most Dirk-like player he’s ever seen. He admitted that teams have a hard time defending against Lauri because he can shoot over shorter players and is more technical than bigger players.
Lauri is tall and slender, but he covers a lot of space on the court, which makes him a huge problem for the opposing team.
Carlisle knows that a great player needs a coach who can help them develop their skills. He believed that Will Hardy, the coach of the Utah Jazz, is the right person for the job.
Just like in Dallas with Dirk Nowitzki, Coach Hardy can create plays that take advantage of Lauri Markkanen’s unique skills.
Carlisle said that in Dallas, they were able to set up plays that no other team could because of Dirk Nowitzki. He thinks the same thing is happening in Utah with Lauri Markkanen.
Coach Hardy is a creative offensive coach who knows how to use Lauri’s skills in a special way. This gives the Jazz an advantage over other teams.
While Lauri Markkanen still has a long way to go to reach Dirk Nowitzki’s level, the comparison between the two players is not completely unfounded.
Lauri has the potential to become a great player, just like Dirk. With the right coaching and development, he could make a big impact in the NBA.
