2016 NBA Draft: Is Thon Maker A Legitimate Lottery Pick?

Thon Maker could make his mark in the 2016 NBA Draft, as the 19-year-old prep school star could be a lottery pick.

Aside from Kris Jenkins’ last second shot to win the NCAA championship, there may not have been a more shocking moment Monday than Thon Maker’s decision to enter the 2016 NBA Draft.

In Maker’s declaration, the NBA faces a game-changing decision. The rule states that a player must be a year removed from high school, which technically makes Maker eligible as he graduated high school a year ago and played an extra year of prep ball to run alongside his younger brother.

While the question of his eligibility must be answered first, it hasn’t stopped basketball aficionados from debating how good of a prospect Maker would be in this year’s draft.

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On the court, Maker is yet another prospect whose size and skills stand to defy the limitations of traditional positions.

The Australian-Sudanese youngster has been on the prep radar since he first stepped on a high school court due to a rare combination of stature and skill.

At 7-foot-1 and weighing 218 pounds, Maker projects to be a slightly more advanced version of Myles Turner, with the strength and athleticism to be a viable threat as a post scorer as well as the outside touch to be a dangerous stretch-5. He also boasts tremendous shot blocking ability and has been praised for his relentless effort on both ends of the floor.

However, like any draft prospect, he is not without his flaws.

His ability to put the ball on the floor is good, but not good enough for him to translate as an oversized wing at the next level. He struggles to score through contact and will obviously need to bulk up to play down low in the NBA.

In addition, scouts will question how effective his skills truly are and how well he will translate as they do with every prospect who didn’t play against pro-level competition in their amateur days.

Be that as it may, his unique versatility will make him at least a lottery pick — if not a top-five selection — should he be allowed to participate in June’s draft.

TREVISO, ITALY – JUNE 07: Thon Maker of team USA looks on during adidas Eurocamp day one at La Ghirada sports center on June 7, 2014 in Treviso, Italy. (Photo by Dino Panato/Getty Images) /

Maker, among others, is benefitting from a draft class that is weaker than those of previous years, as nothing is really set in stone outside of the top two selections.

While there are some tantalizing prospects projected to go in the first 15, Maker’s unique combination of size, athleticism and shooting ability give him as a good a chance as any to hear his name called early. I personally like him better than hyped Croatian forward Dragan Bender, who seems to be benefiti tremendously from the success of one Kristaps Porzingis.

It also helps that multiple teams are in the running for big men, and even more will be looking to get their hands on such a versatile one following the success of rookies like Karl-Anthony Towns and Porzingis. The Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks are all teams with lottery picks that will be looking to bolster their frontcourts.

Any team who decides to take a chance on Maker will be getting a high-energy player with a skill set that, while being fairly solid, still has room to be molded and developed.

Depending on the coach and situation, Maker can either be a hustle guy and rim protector in the vein of Toronto Raptors forward Bismack Biyombo or he could become a highly dangerous inside-out two way star at the 4 or 5.

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Either way, Maker is too tantalizing a player — and opportunity — to pass up.

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