Milwaukee Bucks: Thon Maker’s Defense Set The Tone In Game 1

Keeping Pace With Smaller Opponents

With Maker so willing to cheat off of Valanciunas and provide help guarding smaller opponents, that exercise only becomes worthwhile if the Bucks’ youngster is able to keep up with speedy guards.

If we didn’t know this already, Saturday’s game certainly provided the answer. Not only can Maker keep pace with someone like Kyle Lowry, but he will match him pace for pace, with long arms draped all over the driver, as if he’s about to steal his soul.

There were a couple of instances of this tight coverage with DeRozan, but the most notable instance came in the third quarter as Maker was virtually glued to Lowry on his way to the rim. Not only did Maker cover the point guard so well that he wass unable to get a shot off, but blanketed by Thon’s frame passing even became a challenge for the 31-year-old All-Star.

The play in itself was a great example of what the best version of Milwaukee’s long-armed, switching offense can look like, and it’s a testament to Lowry’s abilities that he somehow managed to beat the shot clock with a heavily contested fadeaway over Khris Middleton.

For the Bucks, in this series and beyond, it’s not necessarily the three-pointers and rim running that makes Thon so exciting, but plays like this one. If he can consistently combine those offensive skills with this sort of tenacious, position-less defense, Maker could transform the way in which Milwaukee plays and become a star in his own right.