Chicago Bulls: Lauri Markkanen to participate in Taco Bell Skills Challenge

The Bulls will have at least one player participating in All-Star weekend, as big man Lauri Markkanen will compete in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.

In what has been a lost season for the Chicago Bulls, they received some great news on Thursday night. Big man Lauri Markkanen has been chosen to compete in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge where he will get to show off his entire arsenal of weapons. Including dribbling, evasiveness, speed, and his golden ticket, shooting.

Lauri will be the first Bulls player to take part in the competition since Derrick Rose in the 2011 season. Joining Markkanen in Los Angeles for the Challenge will be, Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams, Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. The big men in the contest will be Boston Celtics center Al Horford, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, and defending champion Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks.

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In what was once looked at as an awful pick back on draft night during the 2017 draft, Markkanen has been quite the revelation for the Bulls this season. Chicago was undoubtedly in the midst of a massive rebuild that was kick started after the Jimmy Butler trade. The team needed to make the right choice with the number seven draft pick, and it turns out, they chose the right player.

In 47 total games played for the Bulls this season, Markkanen is averaging 15.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. He is also shooting 43% from the field, and 36.5% from beyond the arc. Winning the Skills challenge is not out of the question for the big man from Finland.

As a matter of fact, the past two winners of the Taco Bell Skills challenge have been big men. in 2016, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns beat out Isaiah Thomas in the finals, and during the 2017 competition Kristaps Porzingis beat out Gordon Hayward in the finals.

Next: Can Lauri Markkanen be better than Dirk Nowitzki?

The Taco Bell Skills Challenge may not be the only contest that Markkanen will be in during All-Star weekend. He will also be playing in the Rising Stars game for Team World. In that game he will be playing against Bulls teammate Kris Dunn who’s playing for Team USA.