The under-rated ones: 5 Rookies you may have missed

2. Lauri Markkanen (Chicago Bulls):

Another first-round pick, the Finnish rookie was drafted at number seven by the Chicago Bulls. Expected to be third in rotation of power forwards behind Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis, a heated bust-up between the pair led to an injury that Mirotic sustained while Portis received an eight-match suspension.

Immediately a starter by default, Markkanen has made good use of his chances centre-stage.

Markkanen is already in with a shout for Rookie of the Year

Lauri has made the starting spot at the Bulls his own, even after the return of Portis. He has been so good that Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg stated he'll remain Bulls' first-choice starter when Mirotic is fit and available once more. Averaging just under 15 points per game, 8.3 rebounds on average is also a commendable achievement to go with his scoring statistics.

26 points | 13 rebounds | 2 assists.Lauri Markkanen brought some sunshine to the game tonight: pic.twitter.com/Vg2kcyBzKZ

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 20, 2017

His shooting has been excellent too, 50% from the field for a PF who also takes three-pointers is impressive to say the least. He has not looked back, instead pushing forward by grabbing the opportunity to start regularly with both hands - as a result, there's no reason why he cannot feature as a contender for Rookie of the Year too.