The Utah Jazz look like a team on the rise in the NBA as they’ve got a brilliant head coach in Will Hardy and several talented young players to someday make a run in the playoffs.
The key to the Jazz’s success last season was Lauri Markkanen who evolved from perceived bust to a legitimate star.
Markkanen was one of the league’s best scorers during the 2022-23 NBA season and was named to his first All-Star team as a result.
The forward had Utah right in the thick of the playoff race before the organization decided to shut down him and several other rotation players down the stretch due to injuries.
It might have been a disappointing end to the year for the Jazz, but by all accounts, they are trending in the right direction and could take another leap this upcoming season.
Markkanen will be asked to carry the scoring load again, but in the meantime, he also finished his mandatory military service in his native Finland via his Instagram account.
Lauri Markkanen has completed his mandatory service with the Finnish military
(via laurimarkkanen/IG) pic.twitter.com/AISdNTqkwE
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 29, 2023
Like many other foreign countries, Finland requires their men to serve in their military before they turn 30 and with Utah eliminated from the playoffs Markkanen decided it would be the best time for him to get it out of the way.
It surely is a great feeling to serve your country but now Markkanen gets the opportunity to solely focus on basketball again.
In a crowded Western Conference, it’ll be hard for the Jazz to crack the top eight but they should be a competitive bunch.
NEXT: Jazz Share Video Of Key Player Putting In Offseason Work