Forward Lauri Markkanen has been demoted to reserve status by the Chicago Bulls, but he still believes he’s a starter.
“I’m a team guy. I understand it,” Markkanen said. “And of course it’s a little — what was this, my second game off the bench? So the rhythm of the game is a little bit different. But I’ll do whatever I can.”
Bulls coach Billy Donovan is clearly building the lineup around Nikola Vucevic, opting to pair the All-Star center with the shooting of forward Thaddeus Young. That leaves Markkanen coming off the bench.
“I mean, I feel like we’re all competitors and you always want to start. I feel like that’s how everybody feels. And I know I’m a starter in this league. But I’m gonna play my role. I know coach has a lot to handle with the new guys coming and so it’s gonna be an adjustment.”
It remains to be seen if Markkanen will continue his current role, if he’ll be happy with it, or if how it will impact his looming free agency.
More from the Central
- Bulls guard Zach LaVine sounded resigned to the idea of resting his iffy ankle following a 4-of-16 shooting performance Monday’s loss to Golden State Warriors. “It’s a decision I’m going to have to make coming up, because obviously you guys can tell, I’m not myself,” LaVine told reporters. “I’m just trying to go out there and obviously tough it out. But I rolled it a little bit again today, so I’ll figure it out later.”
- The situation in Cleveland appears less than stellar following the Andre Drummond buyout. There may even be some discord, and GM Koby Altman‘s future may be in doubt. You can read more in the latest Dribbles right here.
- The Indiana Pacers can’t repeat the “non-effort” exhibited in Monday’s loss to the Washington Wizards, writes J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star. “They played harder,” Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “They made more shots and got more stops.” Other than that, everything went well for Indy.
- In case you missed it, the Bucks are welcoming backup point guard Jeff Teague with open arms. Full story here.
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- NBA sets dates for draft, lottery and annual combine
