Milwaukee Bucks: Analyzing Thon Maker/Jonas Valanciunas Matchup
By Ti Windisch
With the Milwaukee Bucks about to face off with the third-seeded Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs, we dive into a key matchup of some battling big men.
The Milwaukee Bucks are facing off with a team who has plenty of playoff experience. All five of the Toronto Raptors’ starters have logged extensive playoff playing time, with all of them making at least one Conference Finals thus far in their careers.
Although he’s never taken the leap to stardom that some hoped for, Jonas Valanciunas is an experienced center. Although he’s just 24 years old, Valanciunas is a five-year veteran who’s been a full-time starter for the majority of his NBA career.
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He’s also got postseason experience to fall back on in the playoffs. Valanciunas has played 23 playoff games in his career, and he averages a double-double in those games. Clearly, the Lithuanian center knows what he’s doing when the stakes are at their highest.
The same cannot be said for Milwaukee’s most recent starting center. Thon Maker has excited fans with glimpses of his potential, but he’s about as raw as a rookie can be. The 19-year-old has recorded 562 NBA minutes thus far. Valanciunas has over 10,000 between the regular season and the playoffs.
If Thon does indeed continue to start for the Bucks, can he survive in a matchup with Valanciunas? We’ll go through several facets of their games to figure out just how Thon could fare in a series against Toronto’s proven big man.