2017 Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Who is Lauri Markkanen?

Draft Sites Say

Mike Schmitz & Matt Kamalsky, Draft Express

"Markkanen’s intrigue as a prospect isn’t difficult to see on first glance.  Looking every bit of his listed 7’0-230 pounds, he has great size for a power forward.  A fluid, coordinated athlete who lacks a degree of explosiveness, length, and physical strength, despite his improved, muscular frame, the 19 year old forward will need to continue to get stronger, but has a nice mix of tools to complement his advanced skill set his on the offensive end."

Cole Zwicker, The Step Back

"Basically, projecting Markkanen’s NBA impact comes down to this — how can his considerable offensive skills be maximized to obtain full utility, mitigating the negatives on defense? He will need to be placed in a system surrounded by elite perimeter defenders to wall off penetration and keep offensive players away from the rim he can’t protect. He will also probably need to play the 5 a good amount to fully extract his shooting and agility with the ball attacking closeouts. It’s by no means an easy fit, but if a team can place him in a suitable situation there is obvious utility here, and perhaps considerable upside."

Stefanos Makris, NBADraft.net

"Markkanen is a player to keep an eye on. At first glance he looks like a prototypical Stretch-4, but he can become a lot more than just that. His ability to score from just about everywhere on the floor is what makes him special, but he has all the necessary tools to become a two-way player. With that said, he still has long ways to go in many aspects of the game, especially on Defense, but if he continues working hard he can become a very good player in the future. Likely will need some adjustment time to playing against American athletes"