The Celtics rested Jayson Tatum for Friday’s 111-104 victory over the Bulls, who may do the same with Lauri Markkanen for Saturday’s home game against the Nets that has major draft-lottery ramifications.

The rookies are obviously resting for different reasons. The Celtics, who no longer can catch the Raptors for the Eastern Conference’s top seed, are headed to the playoffs. The Bulls, who already have shut down Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, Denzel Valentine, Antonio Blakeney and Paul Zipser and may do the same with Noah Vonleh, are hoping for the right pingpong ball combinations to hit next month.

Neither Tatum nor Markkanen will be named Rookie of the Year, a two-man race between the 76ers’ Ben Simmons and the Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell. And neither player is resting on his laurels, with Markkanen repeatedly talking about how important the upcoming offseason is for him.

But both players could be excused for taking a victory lap if it were in their nature. Think about it: If the 2017 draft were redone — a fun exercise that has grown in popularity in recent years among basketball followers — Tatum and Markkanen would comprise two of the top three picks on many draft boards.

No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz has missed almost the entire season for the 76ers with a shoulder injury. No. 2 pick Lonzo Ball has fared well in spurts for the Lakers but has displayed nowhere near the consistency needed. Simmons is eligible to win Rookie of the Year but is a member of the Class of 2016 who sat out all last season with an injury.

Meanwhile, Tatum, the No. 3 pick, is averaging 13.9 points and 5.1 rebounds as a starter on a playoff team. He’s poised and polished with a high IQ at both ends of the floor.

Markkanen would make the biggest jump on most re-draft boards. Picked No. 7 by the Timberwolves, who traded his rights to the Bulls in the Jimmy Butler deal, Markkanen has blown away all stereotypes pigeonholing him as merely a shooter or a non-physical European stretch-four forward.

Markkanen flashed his ability to rebound in traffic early on. His defensive acumen includes the ability to play physically inside and agile footwork when he is switched onto smaller players on the perimeter. Heck, by season’s end coach Fred Hoiberg had installed a package that featured Markkanen bringing the ball up as the primary ballhandler.

Not bad for a 7-footer who won’t turn 21 until a week after the May 15 draft lottery.

“The true fan has a true appreciation for everything he does,” Hoiberg said. “You look at that (Jan. 10) game he had in (Madison Square) Garden. In the world’s most famous arena, he has eight 3s (and) an absolute highlight-reel dunk (on the Knicks’ Enes Kanter). His versatility at both ends is a great sign that he will be a special player.”

Markkanen scored a season-high 33 points that night in New York. In Boston on Friday, he finished with 20 points in just 23 minutes, continuing his strong close to the season.

The wild night also featured Omer Asik making his Bulls debut, the Celtics resting Al Horford, Bobby Portis and Marcus Morris getting tossed in the third quarter and Sean Kilpatrick heating up in the fourth again, scoring 14 of his team-high 24 points.

Markkanen, who now has four 20-point games in his last five, never gets too high or low regardless of his performance.

His rookie season has featured plenty of highs but also four instances of back spasms and periods of shooting inconsistency or teammates not getting him enough shots. And he always presents himself as even-keeled, undaunted by it all.

The back issues need to be addressed. A body transformation mimicking the success former strength coach Al Vermeil had with Horace Grant would be ideal.

“The No. 1 thing with Lauri for the summer is just to work on his body,” Hoiberg said. “He really didn’t have a summer to do that this past offseason because of the draft and playing for Finland at EuroBasket. He got to training camp late.

“But he has a great frame (with) long arms (and) wide shoulders. He’s a guy who can put on size pretty easily; he already has. He must continue to work on the core and the hips, make sure we get everything steady with the back.”

Looking back, Markkanen has said he’s proud to be part of such a strong draft class. Plenty of players from it project to make a strong impact for years.

Would anyone be surprised if Tatum and Markkanen make two of the biggest?

kcjohnson@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kcjhoop

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