Milwaukee Bucks 2017-18 Season Review: Thon Maker
By Adam McGee
The worst of Maker
In spite of increased opportunities in his second season, Maker made considerably less of his chances to play in 2017-18 than he had as a rookie.
To put it simply, Maker was nothing short of a wildcard on both ends of the floor for the Bucks. Theoretically, he remains one of the most important players on the roster when it comes to potentially unlocking the team’s ultimate potential on both ends, yet that doesn’t necessarily play out in reality.
Defensively, Maker’s length and energy tipped the Bucks over the edge on the occasions when everything clicked into place with their overly aggressive scheme, yet his weaknesses were arguably exposed more than any of his teammates when that wasn’t the case.
Maker being dragged out of position would often lead to him gambling to try and make up for one mistake, only to further compound it by committing a cheap foul or creating even more space for his opponents out of a pass.
Offensively, Maker failed to build on a solid 37.8 percent three-point shooting season as a rookie, instead falling off to a disappointing 29.8 percent clip from beyond the arc.
Operating around the basket also continued to be a problem for Maker as his lack of strength hurts his finishing ability around the rim, but also as his hands left plenty to be desired when it came to corralling passes.