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Milwaukee Bucks: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 23, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) drives against Milwaukee Bucks center Miles Plumlee (18) in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) drives against Milwaukee Bucks center Miles Plumlee (18) in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Milwaukee Bucks
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Thon Maker walks to the stage after being selected as the number ten overall pick to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Draft Pick No. 1

With the 10th overall selection, the Bucks pulled the first shocker pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, taking the (allegedly) 19-year-old Thon Maker out of Orangeville Prep High School.

There are two sides to this equation. Though Maker is one of the draft’s bigger boom-or-bust candidates, he could be an excellent addition to this already lengthy Milwaukee team if he can reach his ceiling (and, you know, if he’s actually 19).

Sure, the Bucks just re-signed John Henson last October and then brought back Miles Plumlee for four years this summer, but Greg Monroe clearly is not the answer at the center spot. With Milwaukee having shopped him for months now, it’s only a matter of time before a long-term solution is needed in the paint.

Plumlee is not that guy, contrary to what his unbelievable new contract would indicate, and there’s a good chance Henson isn’t that guy either. If Henson sputters yet again in his fifth NBA season, it might be time to admit his ceiling is being a backup big.

Bucks fans wondering who could possibly step in when the day for trading Monroe comes, meet your Maker — a 7’1″ mess of limbs with a 7’3″ wingspan and a 9’1″ standing reach. He’s got a great work ethic and, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, moves far more fluidly than you’d expect from a human with stilts for legs.

At NBA Summer League, Maker was impressive, averaging 14.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game despite shooting 37.7 percent from the field.

Maker needs to get a lot stronger and his perimeter touch could certainly use a little more consistency. If he really isn’t 19 years old, the rawness in his game is a tad concerning, though watching him play so well in Las Vegas put some of those concerns to bed.

https://twitter.com/GM_Hoops/status/753438342491111424

But if he’s actually 19 or 20 years old, his incredibly high ceiling could make this a gamble worth taking, especially for a young team banking on internal growth.

If he comes close to reaching his full potential, teams will have a pretty damn hard time scoring on the length of Maker, Antetokounmpo, Henson and Khris Middleton, let alone stopping them and Jabari Parker on the offensive end.

Grade: B+

Next: Draft Pick No. 2

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