Milwaukee Bucks: 3 goals for Thon Maker in 2018-19

Thon Maker has had an up and down start to his career with the Milwaukee Bucks. What goals should he have for the 2018-19 NBA season to prove his value?

The Milwaukee Bucks have a tendency to swing for the fences in the NBA Draft. They connected on a grand slam in 2013, selecting a relative unknown in Giannis Antetokounmpo and finding a superstar. With the 10th pick in 2016 they selected another unknown, center Thon Maker.

Again they were swinging for the fences, but two years in it’s still unclear whether this ball is going to be caught at the wall or make it over. Maker has at times been the epitome of a modern big man, swatting shots and draining 3-pointers. At others he has been the demoralizing opposite, unable to stay on the court.

A strong finish to his rookie season, where he started down the stretch and in the postseason, had the Bucks and their fans excited about his step forward in 2017-18. Yet last year he regressed in every way, forcing the Bucks to lean on ground-bound center John Henson. However, in Game 3 of their postseason series against the Boston Celtics, they dusted off Maker and he showed up in a huge way, looking again like a unicorn big man.

Will Maker finally build on his talent and become a more reliable contributor to this team? Or will he again fade into the background to start the season? Maker has to be concerned about the team keeping him around if the latter occurs. This year he has to prove to the Bucks he is a part of their future.

To do so, he will need to focus on a few specific things. Here are three goals for the young center for his third season.