If it’s not a foregone conclusion at this point that Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will be playing in the All-Star Game here in Salt Lake City next month, it at least appears to be trending that way.
Not a bad outcome, considering that owner Ryan Smith was reportedly concerned about trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert because he wanted to have multiple hometown representatives for the ASG.
Better still for the organization, the surging Markkanen might not be the only Jazz player participating in the weekend’s events.
Point guard Mike Conley revealed after Monday’s victory over the Hornets that the NBA had reached out to him about two weeks ago to gauge his interest in taking part in the Skills Challenge. He hadn’t definitively answered yes, but indicated he was giving it strong consideration and possibly even leaning toward it.
Conley, who became a first-time All-Star as a Jazz player in 2021, also participated in that year’s 3-Point Contest, nearly winning it all before the Warriors’ Steph Curry beat him on his final shot attempt.
Meanwhile, I asked Malik Beasley about taking part in that very event — which, as the team’s self-declared best shooter, he’s made zero effort to hide his interest in.
“I plan on being in the 3-Point [Contest]. And if not, I’m gonna [stick around to] support Lauri, and just get a break in Park City or something — stay in town and continue to keep working,” Beasley said.
Asked if he’d gotten an official invite yet, considering that he’s fourth in the league in total 3s made, he replied, “No, not yet — still waiting. But I hope so.”
Meanwhile, rookie center Walker Kessler seems a shoo-in for the Rising Stars event which involves first- and second-year players. Fellow rookie Ochai Agbaji seems a long shot, however, considering he spent much of the early part of the season in the G League, has been very inconsistent even since landing in the rotation, and is averaging just 3.9 points and 1.6 rebounds.
With a few standout performances sprinkled in — such as his 11-point night in Houston, his 17-point game at Minnesota, and his 19-point effort vs. Chicago — plus a 37.5% mark from 3-point range, it’s not wholly inconceivable he could make it, but he’s not getting his hopes up, either. Not that he’s really hoping that much to begin with.
“Whatever opportunity comes, I’ll take it for sure,” he said diplomatically.
Then, however, he was asked if he wouldn’t rather just have the time off.
“I would rather have it off, but …” he conceded, laughing. “It would just be an honor to be a part of All-Star Weekend, for sure.”
Posters of Kobe and Dirk and … Terrell Brandon?
Back at the beginning of January, the Jazz revealed the promotional “Finnisher”-themed posters they’d designed to bolster Markkanen’s All-Star campaign.
This, naturally, became an opportunity to ask about what posters he’d had up on his wall when growing up.
“Basketball posters, I had LeBron and … I think it was Kobe guarding D-Wade. Later on, I had Dirk,” he said. “But growing up in Finland, it was [mostly] hockey goalies and hockey players.”
This also led to an opportunity to ask coach Will Hardy the same question.
He had some obvious selections — Michael Jordan and Larry, Bird, for instance. Allen Iverson also made sense, owing to them both being from Virginia, as did then-Duke star JJ Redick, because Hardy lived in ACC country, and also because Redick played his high school ball in Roanoke, Va.
However, he also had some choices that were a bit more, shall we say, eclectic?
“Man … you know I had some some interesting favorite players. I actually was a big Chauncey Billups fan. I was a big Terrell Brandon fan. I liked those Timberwolves teams — I had a pair of the shorts when I was little, out of Eastbay [catalog]. I liked the Timberwolves,” Hardy said. “I always respected Steve Nash, I thought he was so fun to watch. And then I got to coach one of my favorite players ever — Manu Ginobili. Those guys were guys that I loved. Last one was Ray Allen. And then Ray Allen broke my heart in 2013. But Ray Allen with the Sonics, the Bucks, I mean he was unreal.”
Hardy conceded they were some unconventional favorites, but noted that a variety of playing styles is part of what he finds appealing about the NBA: “There’s not one way to do this; you take the top 10 players in the league now, they all play a different style, and I think that’s what makes our league cool.”
Still …
“Bet you didn’t think you were gonna hear ‘Terrell Brandon,’” he acknowledged with a laugh as he got up to leave.
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