Hoops Habit
Fansided

2016 NBA Draft: Why Thon Maker Deserves Attention

By Nathan Grubel

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

With the 2016 NBA Draft not too far away, teams should do their due diligence on scouting potential lottery prospect Thon Maker.

Taking a chance on a prospect who didn’t get a lot of national attention isn’t always the smartest move for an NBA scout to recommend. That player could either turn out as good as a Giannis Antetokounmpo or as bad as a Darko Milicic.

But there’s one intriguing talent in the 2016 draft class that could wind up a lottery pick depending on a few key factors.

His name? Thon Maker.

Maker isn’t your average 19-year-old basketball player. He’s 7’1″ and has the athleticism and size to play either power forward or center with some claiming he could even slide on the perimeter at times thanks to his emerging three-point shot.

In fact, what makes his declaration so intriguing is that he’s coming straight out of high school and was ruled eligible by the league, making him the first player to do so in a decade.

Anyone who’s connected to the basketball world remembers when ESPN highlighted one of his mixtapes and watching the tape, it’s hard to deny he has special potential once he hits the league.

A player that size handling the ball in transition and connecting on three-point shots is still a rarity at this point. His playmaking skills aren’t quite at a point where a team would give him a real shot at running any kind of offense in transition or the halfcourt, but even having a handle at this stage of his development is remarkable to say the least.

He’s done all of this while exhibiting elite hops and athleticism for someone with the stature of a big man, but it’s come against weaker competition in high school. Some days he looks like a clone of Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant, and others he looks like the raw prospect he’s been billed as to this point.

His up-and-down play isn’t the most encouraging sign of a future star in the NBA, but he’s also 19. Young kids will have good and bad nights as consistency becomes the most valuable key to unlocking anyone’s full potential.

Live Feed

Where do the Washington Wizards rank in terms of future draft assets?
Where do the Washington Wizards rank in terms of future draft assets? /

Wiz of Awes

  • 4 Prospects Blazers should already be scouting for 2024 NBA DraftRip City Project
  • Washington Wizards' Johnny Davis is not ready for a rotational roleWiz of Awes
  • Bleacher Report cares way too much about the lack of 2nd round picks the Utah Jazz haveThe J-Notes
  • Trade Whispers to Franchise Fixture: Maxey's Uncertain Path to StabilityThe Sixer Sense
  • 3 NBA Draft picks Mavs rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper should have been taken overThe Smoking Cuban

    • Is it nice to see a guy of his age string together multiple performances that make scouts stand back in awe? Absolutely. But when evaluating talent it’s important to keep their youth and inexperience in mind and just look at what said player can or can’t do on the court at this juncture.

    The biggest knock Maker will have on him entering the draft is his lanky frame and lack of strength that’s necessary to compete for rebounds down low and loose balls. Maker generally plays with a lot of effort and is willing to run up and down the floor, but how will he fare against NBA-ready athletes who are stronger and have a better knowledge of spacing and boxing out than he does thanks to collegiate experience?

    I’m interested to see how far apart he is from the other top prospects from a skill perspective at the combine. His measurements and individual workouts will show us everything we need to properly evaluate him, and who knows? Maybe he’ll prove he isn’t worth a selection in the late lottery.

    But it’s foolish to place too many barriers in front of him before the draft combine and team workouts. High school footage on YouTube doesn’t tell you enough about who a player is and how hard he’s willing to compete against guys who are farther along than him heading into June.

    At this point though, if you were to ask me today if I would take a chance on him with a late lottery or mid-first round pick I’d say yes because of the upside he has. Too many teams passed on Antetokounmpo and now you see international talents being valued higher than ever thanks to guys like him, Kristaps Porzingis and Mario Hezonja working out in the league.

    Maker doesn’t have the experience Hezonja and Porzingis did playing professionally in their home countries, but Antetokounmpo played most of his basketball against competition not much better than that of what you would find in most high school gyms in the United States.

    More hoops habit: 2016 NBA Playoffs: Each Team's Week 1 MVP

    What matters are the skills that Maker has and if he’s an effective basketball player. From what we’ve seen so far he is, and I’d bet he impresses quite a few scouts before draft day.

    Home/NBA Draft