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NEW ORLEANS — Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy likes to pull forward Lauri Markkanen aside during the course of the game to get his thoughts on things.
Hardy wants to know what Markkanen is seeing on the court and where he believes he'd be the most effective.
The answer can get pretty lengthy.
"A lot of times our conversation is like, 'Well, I like handling in pick and roll, but I also like screening pick and roll; coming off of ball screens is good, too,'" Hardy said.
That's what has made Markkanen so special to start the season. He's had his hand in just about everything the Jazz do offensively. He can find cutters, and he can be a cutter. He can run pick and roll, and he can slip out for a pick and pop. He can catch and shoot, and he can pull up off the dribble.
And he does all of that at 6-foot-11.
On Sunday in New Orleans, his repertoire was on full display: He scored 31 points on 9-of-17 shooting, got to the free-throw line 11 times (and made them all), and added two assists to boot as the Jazz beat the Pelicans 122-121 to improve to 3-0 on the season.
"Early in the season, he's having success, kind of doing everything," Hardy said. "He had the quietest 31 tonight I think I've ever seen — maybe I just wasn't paying attention — but he's just a blast to coach because, again, you can put him in a variety of situations and he finds a way to be successful."
OK, we're going to have to politely disagree on the quiet nature of Markkanen's night; he had 20 points at halftime and added 9 more in the third quarter alone.
On one third-quarter drive, where he used his strength to get around a defender before pulling up for a 10-foot floater, he, frankly, looked like a Finnish version of Kevin Durant. And his finger roll finish around the hulking Jonas Valanciunas was pretty reminiscent of Durant, too.
Hyperbole? Sure, but it's hard to find another comparison; he was that good on Sunday.
Markkanen had a phenomenal summer at EuroBasket, and truly stood out in a tournament that featured Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. He's carried that momentum into a season where he's been given the biggest role of his still-young NBA career.
If the early returns are any indication, the Jazz may have a budding star on their hands. In three games, he's averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
So what has allowed Markkanen, who was taken with the No. 7 pick in the 2017 NBA draft, to get off to such a strong start?
"It's a good fit," Markkanen said. "Just us moving the ball and having unselfish guys, and knowing that we had different guys that can make plays. I think the ball's been finding me, and I try to stay active and aggressive on both ends of the floor. It's a good start, but we've still gotta keep learning and keep getting better."
That mindset has been the driving factor to his strong start to the season. He's simply been playing within the system, passing, moving without the ball, and trying to get on the offensive glass; the numbers have followed.
"For a guy to score 31 points, he's not looking for his own," Hardy said. "He just takes what the game gives him. If the game tells him to shoot, he shoots. If the game tells him to pass, he passes. So he's a huge weapon for us."
