Dear NBA, Get Ready For An Infusion Of Elite Talent

Thon Maker, 7’0″ 220, Center, Orangeville Prep (Canada)

Ah, the perils of being a 21st century YouTube sensation.

At first, he was overhyped, as his throngs of Ball Is Life mixtapes made him out to be the ultimate 2K created player — a mind-numbing hybrid of Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett.

But, over time, as the hype grew, not unexpectedly, Thon Maker’s game would be gradually overanalyzed and torn apart. Soon enough, the “well actually” partisan took over, and his lack of strength, lack of court awareness, and putrid shot selection became the topic of conversation every time his name was brought up.

Truth is, like most things in life, Maker is somewhere in between.

You just don’t find many 7’0″ behemoths sporting a 7’3″ wingspan and a 9’3″ standing reach who moves as fluidity and agile as Thon. The Sudanese native combines his physical gifts with a unique repertoire of guard-/wing-like moves; from crossovers to step back jumpers, he puts his skills on display at every opportunity.

In most environments, Maker is an absolute matchup nightmare. He can stretch your big out and put him in an uncompromising island guarding from 25-feet out. He has an unusually smooth outside stroke where he can hit a bevy of off balance shots via the dribble. When spotting up, Maker’s range extends out all the way to the NBA three-point line.

Defensively, the 18-year-old stretch big plays with great motor and activity. He utilizes his length in protecting the rim and is an aggressive rebounder despite his lack of strength.

However, Maker tends to make the game a lot harder for himself than it should be. Instead of taking a wide open pick-and-pop three, Thon would rather pump fake, take several rhythm dribbles, before attempting a crossover contested long two.

His overall feel for the game and basketball instincts are below par, as well.

But, as the young seven-footer continues to fine tune his body — an aspect he has shown tremendous growth in, adding nearly 25 pounds over the last two years — his unmistakable concoction of length, mobility, and skill will net him a high lottery selection come the 2017 draft.

Next: Malik Monk