The Return of Thon Maker
Thon Maker played like a difference-maker as a rookie in last year’s playoffs against the Toronto Raptors. His impressive performance then was a revelation, since he had provided only glimpses of his talents up to that point.
Maker experienced a sophomore slump this season, struggling to translate the same abilities he demonstrated in last year’s playoffs into consistent performances this year. Entering this playoff series against the Celtics, he looked to be a non-factor.
With Henson out with a back injury, Maker received his opportunity to prove differently. He seized the opportunity immediately, coming out of nowhere to swat Jaylen Brown‘s driving layup off the backboard. But to the continued surprise of everyone, that was just the beginning.
Before the first quarter ended, Maker followed up with a steal and block on Greg Monroe and a block on Jayson Tatum, tracking the Celtic from the top of the key all the way to the rim on all three occasions.
His suffocating display of length led to a 9-1 run to end the first quarter, and also seemed to generate a special energy in the team and crowd that remained present the entire night.
In addition to providing rim protection, Maker also used his quick feet effectively to stay attached to players trying to create space for jump shots.
The seven-footer’s awe-inspiring exhibition directly created efficient transition opportunities and unlocked a smothering switching-style defense that the Celtics struggled to find openings against.
Furthermore, the center’s shooting ability created open space for his teammates. When Boston helped off of him, he made them pay by hitting three-of-four triples.
The Bucks with peak Maker at center are closer to the idealized version of the team than the Bucks with peak Henson at center. This season, he has struggled to play even close to his peak.
On Friday night, he elevated the Bucks to a higher level of play, and stamped his mark as an X-factor in this series. The Celtics were caught surprised this game and will have adjustments prepared next game.
However, the unexpected contributions of Maker and its cascading effects open up the series strategically and change its dynamic, putting Milwaukee in a stronger position moving forward.