Getty Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen
The return of Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen has finally arrived. After missing the team’s first 23 games due to an elbow injury, he’s slated to make his 2018-19 debut on Saturday against the Houston Rockets. The news was first revealed by The Athletic’s Shams Charania and came to light after Markkanen practiced without any setbacks.
Chicago’s Lauri Markkanen is expected to make his season debut tonight in Houston. He is listed “probable” to return to the Bulls lineup against Rockets after suffering a sprained right elbow in training camp.
The talented forward who averaged 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season will be a key part of the Bulls’ success even beyond the current season. After being a first-team All-Rookie selection, there’s certainly plenty of hype surrounding his return as well. With that said, this doesn’t mean he’ll jump right into the starting lineup for his debut.
Let’s take a look at the Bulls’ projected starting lineup and roster for the game against the Rockets on Saturday.
Bulls’ Projected Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Rockets
*Notates expected starter
C- Wendell Carter Jr.*, Robin Lopez, Cristiano Felicio
PF- Jabari Parker*, Lauri Markkanen
SF- Justin Holiday*
SG- Zach LaVine*, Cameron Payne, Chandler Hutchinson
PG- Ryan Arcidiacono*, Shaquille Harrison, Antonio Blakeney
It’s tough to envision the Bulls opting to rush Markkanen back into a huge workload. After all, the team currently sits at 5-18 on the season and while they’ll surely want to win, they don’t want the young forward to suffer any setbacks. He’ll come off the bench in this game, but there’s been no word on a specific minute restriction just yet.
This was confirmed by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, who cited that Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg revealed Markkanen will not be in the starting five immediately.
Fred Hoiberg said Lauri Markkanen will come off bench vs. Rockets.
While a minute restriction hasn’t been finalized, there are rumblings that Markkanen will indeed have one against the Rockets. Regardless, his return will likely eat into the playing time of both Jabari Parker and Justin Holiday. It could also impact a few of the backup guards, as the team could opt to roll out Holiday or Parker in lineups with Markkanen potentially.
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Bulls Roster & Starting Lineup in Lauri Markkanen’s Debut vs. Rockets