NBA Draft results: Lauri Markkanen is a sweet-shooting big man who’ll open the floor for Bulls

The Chicago Bulls selected Lauri Markkanen with the No. 7 in the 2017 NBA draft. The Arizona forward was a flamethrower all season long from deep as a 6’10 big man, and helped the Wildcats advance to the Sweet 16 in a five-loss season.

Markkanen is known for his three-point shooting abilities, and his 69 makes on 163 attempts showcased why. He scored 20 or more points in eight games, all on 45 percent or greater shooting, and scored double-digit points in all but six.

He came into college as a highly touted recruit and never wavered from that standing, joining an impressive freshman class at Arizona that included another one-and-done in Kobi Simmons and nearly had a second in Rawle Alkins.

Markkanen’s standout game came against Arizona State in January, when he scored 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting and added eight rebounds. Those are the types of numbers a shooter of his size has the potential to put up if he’s able to adjust at the next level.

The 6’10 forward is one of college basketball’s best big-man shooters and should provide immediate offense. He fired at a 42 percent clip, the 13th-best mark in the Pac-12, as a power forward. He also shot 84 percent from the free-throw line, which was the best mark in the conference.

Markkanen fits the mold as an athletic stretch four who rebounds well, too. He averaged seven per game and grabbed 10 or more six times. He also averaged more than two offensive boards.

Of course, Markkanen is joining a Chicago team that just traded Jimmy Butler minutes before its pick on Thursday. It might not be fair to make Markkanen the new face of the franchise, but certainly he is now expected to be a huge part of its future. We’ll see if he can live up to it, because ...

Finding what else Markkanen brings to the table will be the biggest question in his career early on. He’s a known shooter off the pick-and-roll and spotting up, but finding out how else he contributes as a passer and defender are his areas of uncertainty. He averaged less than an assist, block, and steal per game.

It also wasn’t a great sign that Markkanen couldn’t get the ball in the second half of Arizona’s NCAA tournament loss to Xavier.

But in a shooter’s league, Markkanen should be an immediate fit in any rotation.

Markkanen was born in Finland, and his father, Pekka, played for Kansas before playing professionally in Finland. His mother, Riika, also played professional basketball in Finland.