Lauri Markkanen Stat Reveals Eye-Opening Jazz Fact

In the process of the Utah Jazz's tanking efforts throughout the 2024-25 campaign, it's come with some considerable absences in the process from star forward Lauri Markkanen, dealing with his fair share of back flare-ups during his third year in Utah.

In total, it's been 22 missed games for Markkanen –– a solid amount of time out of the mix for Utah, looking a bit similar to his sample size from the 2023-24 campaign, where he finished with 55 games on the season.

However, as revealed by NBA.com's John Schuhmann, the Jazz have seemingly done better this season when Markkanen is out of the lineup compared to when he's suiting up.

"The Jazz were fined $100,000 on Wednesday for not playing Lauri Markkanen, so the seven-footer returned from a nine-game absence that night in Memphis," Schuhmann wrote. "Of course, if the Jazz want to ensure that they’re getting a top-five pick in this Draft (by finishing with the league’s worst record), they don’t need to put Markkanen in hiding. They have a worse record in games he’s played (9-37, .196) than in games he’s missed (6-16, .273)."

The clear goal all season for Utah has been to maximize their spot for this summer's draft lottery, and in those efforts, the Jazz have been consistently cautious with their star's health. Yet, it seems that attempt to jump to the top of the draft board could be done with or without Markkanen in the fold.

Markkanen's had an up-and-down year with the Jazz, averaging some of his worst counting stats and efficiency numbers en route to 19.0 points a night on 42.3% shooting from the field and 35.0% shooting from three.

With those bumps in the road, perhaps it's bled into Utah's results in the wins and losses column –– for better or for worse.

The inconsistencies for Markkanen have since stirred up a bit of worry about what's to come with the veteran's production as the season's gone on, though it shouldn't be cause for concern for Jazz fans moving forward past this year.

It's been a rough, strenuous season for the Jazz star, with consistent health issues in the mix and a far-from-championship-level core to surround him. The dips in numbers add up with the circumstances in place, and at just 27 years old and a new contract signed last offseason, tons of time remains for things to get back on track for Utah's star.

In the meantime, things could continue to be shaky, especially as the tank ensues with just under 15 games to go in the regular season, but even as Markkanen's faced adversity, there's still tons of hope for his future in Salt Lake City.