PORTLAND – There were more than a handful of excuses a few weeks ago.
And Bulls big man Lauri Markkanen was well-versed in them all.
New system, new teammates, sore oblique, needing the ball more to get into a rhythm, better communication … pick one, any one, and believe what you want.
Following a Sunday practice at Portland State University, however, Markkanen was out of the excuse game. The only place he wanted the blame to go was on the guy in the mirror.
“I can’t really say anything about [the system] at this point,’’ Markkanen said.