After nine seasons without a postseason appearance, Utah’s star forward senses a cultural shift as revamped roster additions and summer intensity fuel a renewed urgency in Salt Lake.
Nine NBA seasons have come and gone for Lauri Markkanen … without a single playoff minute.
His reason for believing Year 10 could finally end that drought? A vibe check.
Asked during media day why this season might finally be the one that sends him to the postseason, Markkanen didn't start with Jaren Jackson Jr., Darryn Peterson or any of the talent the Utah Jazz have stacked around him.
"Just the vibe in the facility," Markkanen said. "I feel like everybody's been locked in the whole summer. We have a great team, great coaching staff, and I think we're ready to go."
That answer lined up with an even more direct message Markkanen delivered at media day.
"I think our expectation is to be really competitive," he said. "Of course, we all want to make the playoffs and make noise in the playoffs."
There it is.
Utah won 22 games last season. Markkanen still has never played in the postseason. Those two facts used to make any serious playoff conversation feel premature.
The Jazz have changed enough for that conversation to feel different now — and the roster explains why. Utah added former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., used the No. 2 pick on Peterson and still has Keyonte George and Ace Bailey growing inside the same core. The rebuild has reached the point where simply pointing toward the future no longer feels like enough.
Markkanen's comments suggest he knows it.
"The vibes are high, we're having fun with each other," Markkanen said. "But when we step on the court, or [in the] weight room, or whatever, everybody's being super locked in."
That might be the part worth paying attention to most. Markkanen isn't describing a locker room suffocating under playoff expectations. He's describing one enjoying itself … while carrying a much different standard than Utah has in recent years.
And after nine seasons, there should be some urgency behind it.
Markkanen has already been the centerpiece of a rebuilding team. Utah has already spent years collecting young talent and draft capital. At some point, all of that has to turn into something tangible.
For Markkanen, the goal sounds pretty clear now. He wants playoff basketball, he believes this Jazz group can get him there — and the first thing convincing him isn't a projection or a preseason prediction.
It's the vibe when he walks into work.
