The regular season is well underway and the Jazz are still seeking their first win. Obviously, their superstar Lauri Markkanen is under a lot of pressure to deliver, especially after his recent big $238 million extension. But the current stretch of back-to-back games has not turned out too well for him so far. After last night’s underwhelming 17-point performance in a loss to the Mavs, his struggles continued in tonight’s clash against the Kings. And to make matters worse, the big man injured himself mid-way through the game.

It was in the closing seconds of the first half that Lauri had everyone concerned after he began grimacing a little bit following a rebound attempt. Well, it looked like he was facing issues in his lower back. Simply because the hooper was seen holding that part of the body while he tried to run up and down the court. And moments before the halftime buzzer sounded, the Finnish star checked out of the game and headed straight to the locker room to assess a potential injury.

Raising more concerns for the fans, it was later revealed that he would not return for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, he was replaced by Center Kyle Filipowski in the second half. Because of the unfortunate injury, Markkanen finished his night with only 7 points. Yes, Filipowski did a decent job in his absence and scored 12 points. But that was not enough for his team to end their losing streak.

As expected, the Utah side couldn’t keep up with De’Aaron Fox and Co.’s offense without the Finnish star and got blown out by 17 points! Turns out, as per reports after the game, Markkanen was suffering from a lower back spasm. He’s currently been listed day-to-day.

Can Lauri Markkanen stand by his words amid constant injury concerns?

“I’m ready to get back to work and build with this franchise.” Markkanen was hyped after he inked the contract extension this summer. And he even had the fans excited ahead of the season as the hooper posted an image of a weight vest that he used during one of his workouts. Moreover, he started red hot as he went off for 35 points in the season opener against Memphis. However, things have only gone downhill since then. And tonight’s injury, if serious, could cause him to miss some of the upcoming games.

Well, health has become a major concern for Lauri as he has never played more than seventy games in a season in his career. Surprisingly, the most games he played were during his rookie year in Chicago. That is one of the reasons many believe the Warriors did not add him this summer despite the constant trade rumors. Sure enough, tonight’s injury only hurts his reputation further.

While there is no denying Lauri Markkanen’s talent, it might be of no use if the hooper is constantly hurt and unavailable. Hopefully, he will return soon from the back injury and turn his season around after the disappointing start.