In theory, Arizona was gift-wrapped a powerful 1-2 offensive punch on Jan. 21 when Allonzo Trier was reinstated after a 19-game suspension.
Suddenly, the Wildcats had their top returning scorer eligible to shoot 3s or drive inside, pick up fouls and dish out to teammates — while playing alongside remarkably efficient 7-foot freshman Lauri Markkanen, who nails 3-pointers way over everybody’s heads and can score inside, too.
But, except for UA’s all-cylinders-firing win over UCLA on the day Trier returned, it hasn’t quite worked out that way so far.
Especially last weekend. Markkanen attempted only 11 total shots over two games in Oregon and made just two of them. He’s averaging 7.4 shots taken per conference game since Trier returned, down from 10.8 shots taken in Pac-12 games before Jan. 21.
But UA coach Sean Miller doesn’t blame Markkanen for any of that. Nor does he blame Trier, who has taken 10.2 shots and averaged 14.2 points in his five games since returning.
“No,” Miller said. “The addition of Allonzo will only help Lauri because it will take pressure off. (Opposing teams) will have to worry about another scorer, somebody who can drive the ball, get to the foul line, another 3-point shooter.
“There’s more balance and because of that, it doesn’t allow the defense just to focus their attention on just him. We have some good players — don’t get me wrong — but from a scoring perspective, Allonzo is probably that second-best scorer. So anytime you can add another player out there who’s versatile and who can score and have a big night, that only helps Lauri.”
So what else is going on, then? Why are Markkanen’s numbers shrinking?
He hasn’t been made available for comment in the past week, but Miller said the Finnish freshman can do more inside to complement his perimeter shooting.
“Especially against zones, (it’s about) being able to use his size more around the basket,” Miller said. There, “he can get more second shots, more two-point shots where he’s not just relying on a catch-and-shoot 3-point shot because he’s way more versatile than just that. …
“No matter how great a scorer you are, if you’re only relying on perimeter jump shots, there’s going to be those games where they can take that away from you.”
Like Saturday. That’s when Oregon coach Dana Altman’s game plan came into effect.
“He was a key defensively for us,” Altman said Tuesday on a Pac-12 teleconference call. “We knew he had a number of big games shooting 50 percent from 3 and we didn’t want him to get going from there. He’s a phenomenal player because he’s so big and he’s tough to get to.
“We just didn’t want to let him catch and get into shooting rhythm. Once he gets it up, it’s probably too late. You’ve just got to disrupt him as much as you can.”
Markkanen was 1 for 5 against the Ducks after going just 1 for 6 at Oregon State two days earlier. Guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright noticed.
“Teams are trying to take him away, and we understand that,” Jackson-Cartwright said. “They’re playing him really closely. Squeezing him on ball screens. On pick-and-pops, they’re just really staying with him.”
Not only did the Ducks guard Markkanen when he tried to get open outside, but even if Markkanen tried to beat Dillon Brooks or one of Oregon’s perimeter players and drive inside, the Ducks always had one of their veteran shot blockers — Jordan Bell or Chris Boucher — around to make him think twice about approaching the rim.
On Wednesday against Stanford, Markkanen may have a slightly different challenge. The Cardinal leads the Pac-12 in turnovers given up by opponents, and Markkanen had three of UA’s 19 turnovers on Jan. 1 at Maples Pavilion.
Jackson-Cartwright said film review will help improve the situation, finding other ways to get Markkanen the ball in different areas, while Miller said it’s also up to the coaching staff.
“Being able to get him the ball requires teamwork and requires guards being able to get it to him,” Miller said. “Strategically, as coaches, we have to be able to put him in a better position to get him the ball in and around the basket more, especially against zones. That’s something we learned this week.”
Finally, a little defense might help Markkanen’s offense, too. UA didn’t have much of that, either, last weekend, allowing Oregon to shoot 65.2 percent overall Saturday and OSU to shoot 50 percent in the first half on Thursday.
The Wildcats were outscored 10-4 in fast-break opportunities at OSU and 14-4 at Oregon, meaning Markkanen and the other UA shooters often had to shoot against a completely set-up defense.
“When a team’s constantly making the shot, it’s not as easy to push the ball and get transition opportunities,” Miller said. “All great shooters benefit from a faster pace and we weren’t able to generate a lot of transition in either game, especially against Oregon.”
The good news for Arizona is, while all this reconstruction is going on, they probably don’t have to repair any psychic damage.
Miller said Markkanen’s even-keeled nature “is his gift,” while Jackson-Cartwright said Markkanen is also unselfish and hard-working.
“After we got back (from Oregon), he went in the gym and got a bunch of shots up,” Jackson-Cartwright said. “He’s not discouraged or anything and we have the ultimate confidence in him that he’s going to bounce back quickly and he’s going to be the guy we know he is. So we’re not too worried about him.”
