Jazz star Lauri Markkanen sounded off on some takeaways following his preseason debut vs. the Breakers on Friday night: "For me, it's mostly just trying to get in the rhythm," Mar

Fresh off a newly inked extension, the Finnish star is ready for the challenges ahead with the rebuilding Jazz.

Do the Jazz have that? Nobody knows with exactness.

The Finnish seven-footer signed an extension in August knowing that this season in Salt Lake City could be a tough one for the Jazz.

Making Lauri Markkanen a cornerstone of the rebuilding process has given the Utah Jazz a clearer direction of where the franchise wants to go in trying to become an NBA playoff

While Valimaki is one of many Finnish NHL players — case and point: Utah HC forward Mattias Maccelli also hails from Finland — Markkanen is more of a rare breed. He is one of just three Finnish basketball players ever to have reached the NBA.

I think it was about stopping and appreciating how far I’ve come,” Markkanen said. “It was a nice feeling to know that a lot of teams wanted you to play for their franchise. It was kind of a cool