Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 104-100 win over Detroit Pistons

Thon’s fear of shooting

In 23 minutes of action, Thon Maker took only two shots and passed up on multiple open looks. This has become a concerning trend for the second year player, who appears to be struggling with confidence at this point in the season.

Maker is shooting 3.5 attempts less per 36 minutes than he was last season, according to basketball reference. For a high volume shooter. two less shots is not a concern and might actually be a positive. Maker, however, was already a low usage player, and the most recent dip brings him to a noticeably low rate.

The main reason for the drop in usage appears to be confidence. Wednesday night was a perfect example of this, as on multiple occasions, Thon was given an open three-point or mid-range jumper only to pass it up. Even one of Thon’s two field goal attempts came off a Luke Kennard close-out where the seven-footer just needed to let it fly above Kennard’s reach.

The good news is Maker has not lost the confidence of the coaching staff. Thon still played a hefty 23 minutes in Wednesday’s game, including the entire fourth quarter.

Just one game can turn a player’s confidence around. A one-off, 15-20 point outburst would certainly help. The Bucks need to hope that happens, the Bucks are at their best when Maker is rolling, and with only two centers on the roster much of the young season depends on Maker’s play.