Bulls big man Lauri Markkanen needs to lessen the vanishing moments

Bulls big man Lauri Markkanen’s four-game preseason showcase didn’t exactly scream, ‘‘Climb to stardom!’’ In fact, his play in the preseason didn’t even whisper that phrase.

Considering the Bulls are counting on him to be elite if they are to move on from rebuilding, there should be some concerns. Specifically, why does a 7-footer still disappear so easily?

Instead, coach Jim Boylen is taking a softer stance, pointing out the regular season hasn’t started yet.

‘‘I thought he had some good moments,’’ coach Jim Boylen said about Markkanen’s preseason. ‘‘I don’t always talk to him about his offense, to be honest with you. I talk to him about defending and rebounding and handling the ball. I’ve shown him some of his decisions in transition when he’s handled the ball, so we’ve worked on that.

‘‘I want him to compete at the defensive end, rebound the ball and handle the ball, and everything else to me takes care of itself. I know he’s going to make shots. He’s historically been better when the lights really come on.’’

They come on Wednesday against the Hornets in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Boylen is counting on Markkanen to shine with them.

Markkanen has played in Charlotte only once because of injuries, but what a game it was. He scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds there in February.

That’s a huge difference from the 11.3 points and 8.3 rebounds Markkanen averaged this preseason.

Markkanen had 14 points and five rebounds in the preseason opener against the Bucks, then followed that with a 12-point, four-rebound performance against the Pelicans. Boylen sat his starters in the game against the Pacers before Markkanen turned in his best outing of the preseason with 15 points and 12 rebounds against the Raptors. He then had his worst offensive game of the preseason with four points on 2-for-8 shooting (0-for-6 from three-point range) in the finale against the Hawks.

Yes, his 11 rebounds against the Hawks were nice, but there were too many times in the preseason when Markkanen and guard Zach LaVine didn’t mesh offensively.

‘‘Obviously, I didn’t forget about working on basketball stuff [this offseason],’’ Markkanen said. ‘‘I was just trying to focus on my body. Just like Zach, my goal is to play all 82 games and be available every night. So that’s a big goal for me. I’m trying to become a two-way player [and] work on my defense because I think that’s the key to success — having multiple guys who do it on both ends.’’

Boylen wants to see Markkanen grab defensive rebounds, then push the ball up the floor. The rest will work itself out sooner than later, he said.

‘‘We are working our way through that to where [Markkanen] finds his opportunities,’’ Boylen said. ‘‘But I think it’s going to be an adjustment period.’’

The Bulls had better hope it’s a quick one.