Thon Maker is the most high profile Milwaukee Bucks addition from this year’s NBA Draft, but what do you need to know about him?
In reality, it was only Thon Maker and those in the Milwaukee Bucks war room who were left unsurprised by what unfolded at the 2016 NBA Draft.
The long, eventful, and entirely remarkable journey for the young native of South Sudan came to a head, when NBA commissioner Adam Silver called out his name for the 10th overall pick.
He realized his dream of playing in the NBA, and now the next step will be to build on it and leave a legacy far greater than just being one of the most surprising picks in the history of the league.
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To do that will require a lot of work, but that’s a concept Maker seems more than familiar with, so there’s no reason for him to be daunted by that prospect.
Having had his star ascend in the wider public consciousness thanks to unlikely crossovers, powerful dunks and startling shooting range, most appraisals of Maker’s game tend to be clouded by noise.
It’s difficult to assess him in the same way as you would another young prospect, as you have stories that take shape.
There’s Thon Maker; the refugee who escaped his war ravaged homeland and carved out a future for himself at the top of professional sport thanks to a somewhat nomadic existence.
And then there’s Thon Maker; the freakish prospect who could transform the NBA thanks to his unique combination of size, touch and athleticism.
As June of 2016 comes to a close, there’s only one version of the 19-year-old that really intrigues Milwaukee Bucks fans though. Who is Thon Maker, the NBA player going to be?
Let’s take a closer look to find out.
Next: Background
Background
For as tumultuous as Thon Maker’s upbringing became, like many of his fellow countrymen, he was in some ways a natural fit to be a basketball player from the moment he was born.
Born in what is now known as South Sudan, Maker descends from the Dinka tribe. Like many of the notable tribes in Sudan, the Dinka people are noted for their impressive height, and their slim, strong physiques. On average, Dinka males measure in at over 6’4″ tall.
In that sense, just one look at Maker makes you realize that much like Manute Bol and Luol Deng before him, he is quite literally a product of his Sudanese heritage.
The cruel irony then comes from the fact that like so many others, Maker and his family were forced to flee Sudan at a young age. The country was embroiled in a Civil War (their second) that would last for 22 years, and as a result, the Makers were forced to escape across the border to Uganda.
From there, Maker and his family soon left for Australia, a country with a sizeable population of Sudanese migrants. It was there where Maker was first formally introduced to basketball.
Maker’s coach and now his legal guardian, Edward Smith, spotted the naturally athletic youngster and encouraged him to try his hand at basketball. That was a moment that would ultimately lead to the duo moving to Sydney, then to Louisiana, to Virginia, and to Canada.
Maker’s most recent stop off before coming to Milwaukee was at Orangeville Prep, just outside of Ontario. Thanks to various reclassifications, Maker eventually became draft eligible for the 2016 NBA Draft, leading us to where we are today.
What can we take from Maker’s unusual path to the pro game so far though?
Next: Strengths
Strengths
Let’s put the physical, practical side of Thon Maker’s game aside for a moment.
For all of the potential that the youngster possesses thanks to his incredible physical gifts, he’s untested and his skill is difficult to measure. Undoubtedly his greatest strength at this point comes in who he is as a person.
That may sound like some form of overplayed cliché, but it doesn’t seem like an exaggeration to say that could ultimately have been what set him apart from other prospects under consideration from Milwaukee.
Maker’s journey to this point makes for interesting reading, but what’s more important is that it seems to have shaped his character with a grit, a grace and a perseverance.
When the Bucks drafted Maker on Thursday night, tales of him working out,of his own volition, for a second time hours after his formal workout in Milwaukee quickly surfaced. General manager John Hammond described the team’s reasons for picking Maker in a way that would suggest that level of hunger and commitment did not go unnoticed.
"“We know he is going to do everything he can to make himself the best player he can possibly be. We don’t have to teach him how to work. He knows how to work”"
Prior to the draft when the notion of him being selected 10th overall would have seemed like a fantasy, Jonathan Givony of Draft Express asked the 19-year-old whether how high he would be drafted held any significance to him.
"“It’s more important for me to be picked where I fit. When I’m on an NBA team I’m going to get my apartment five to ten mins walking distance to the practice facility. I’m going to live in the gym. I’m just ready to go to work every day. I want to be picked early, but I also want to go where it is a good fit.”"
When you hear Maker continuously talk about a desire to “live in the gym” every day, you start to believe him.
That work ethic and attitude is something the Bucks have clearly been eager to add across their roster, but it’s also vital to Maker’s chances of development considering where he is at present. Thon Maker currently resembles a ball of unmolded clay.
His height will give him a distinct advantage over most players he comes up against, whether that’s being disruptive defensively, or shooting/finishing over smaller men on offense.
His athleticism is at a level that had never previously been seen at the Draft Combine for a player who was taller than 7’0″. A standing vertical of 32″ and a max vertical of 36.5″ are intriguing weapons.
On top of that, Maker is incredibly mobile. He’ll run up and down the court with ease and speed, and perhaps most importantly for an NBA big man, he seems as if his motor will allow him to do so over and over again.
The physical tools are special, but it’s only when they’re married with Maker’s impressive mentality that you start to get a real sense of excitement about what could be in his future.
Next: Weaknesses
Weaknesses
The most glaring issue that Maker is going to face straight off the bat as he tries to find his feet in the NBA, can be seen very clearly in the side profile image above of him shaking Adam Silver’s hand. Maker is pencil thin, and although his height dictates he plays in the front court, there’s a danger of him being out-muscled off his spot.
There have been concerns over Maker’s ability to bulk up, and considering his Dinka heritage, it certainly may not be the most natural thing for him to do with his body type. Whether he ever looks like a traditional, muscular NBA big man or not, the first priority has to be to work on building up the youngster’s strength.
With impressively broad shoulders, there is some hope that Maker can still fill out though. To do that, not only will he require time in the gym, but a lot of work on his diet too.
Although many scouts in NBA circles might have been suggesting otherwise, at his introductory press conference, the Australian Sudanese suggested that he has already begun to make inroads with his weight during his time in Canada.
Maker says he gained 27lbs in his two years in Canada.
— Behind the Buck Pass (@BehindTheBucks) June 24, 2016
Aside from getting his body more physically ready, the biggest keys for Maker are going to be testing himself and learning from where he comes up short.
So much is made of Maker’s ability to handle the ball, or the range he possesses with his shot, but until he has honed those abilities against NBA caliber opposition, it’s too soon to leave any sort of weighty expectations on those elements of his game.
If Maker had spent even a year at a major college program, you know his game would have been dissected by his coaches, and picked apart by his teammates in practice. No matter how good a player is, that’s part of the process of improvement.
The concern with Maker will be that the competition he has faced up to this point has been so varied and inconsistent in quality, that he’ll find the NBA learning curve to be a steep one.
In all likelihood, Maker will look entirely out of his depth next season, but if both he and everyone around him are patient that need not prevent a stellar career in the NBA.
Next: Fit With The Bucks
Fit With The Bucks (Immediate and Future)
Early on the morning of the draft, back when the idea of the Bucks drafting Thon Maker with the 10th overall pick still seemed laughable, I was one of four Behind the Buck Pass writers who took part in a roundtable draft discussion.
When the prospect of Maker came up, I was honest (I felt no need to be coy as I didn’t expect him to be a Buck), far from effusive and I shared some thoughts which threaten to become home truths now.
"“I get the hype and the appeal for Maker, but he’s going to need to spend probably an entire season in the D-League. I’m not sure how people can look at him and see anything other than that. Having skipped college, the team he lands with will almost have to artificially give him that extra year to develop. That’s what I find so confusing about how passionate many Bucks fans are about him. Without a D-League team I’d be reluctant to take him at all. Even if the potential is what everyone hopes it is, if you don’t have the right infrastructure in place to develop him, he may never reach those heights anyway.”"
Now that Maker is in fact a Buck, those words still ring true. The ideal fit for Maker on the Bucks at present would likely be on their D-League team, but unfortunately that’s a reality that is still some 12 months away.
Without their own D-League affiliate where the environment is controlled, it’s probably not the best option for him next season. In fact, John Hammond said as much on draft night, intimating that Maker will spend a lot of time with the team, and that he even expects Jason Kidd to find opportunities for the youngster to play, when appropriate.
Considering that, Maker’s fit next season should be irrelevant. His only goal, and the organization’s only hope for him as a rookie, should be to learn. Treat it as his year in college. If he impresses on the court, and finds a real role then that can be re-assessed, but in the meantime there should be no pressure.
The longer term picture is even more interesting. Hammond evaded pinning a position on Maker when asked about where he fits best on Thursday night, but you’d have to feel deep down the Bucks have a very well defined hope for his future.
Considering Maker’s exceptional size and the core pieces the Bucks already have in place, if he could realize his potential as a center, the Milwaukee Bucks could be nigh on impossible to stop.
He should face no pressure to play there, and I’d expect the Bucks to pursue and develop other options in the middle in the interim, but by the time his rookie contract is winding down I’d expect the hope is that Thon Maker will be a center.
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Milwaukee certainly gambled in making the high upside pick on Thursday night, but very soon, the order of where he was picked should become less important, and it will become more a question of belief.
The Bucks seem to have unwavering faith in Maker’s ability to succeed, but I’m not sure anyone believes in Thon Maker more than he does himself. In the end, that could be what sets him apart.