Milwaukee Bucks: 3 players facing the most pressure in 2018-19

3. Thon Maker

The players on the Milwaukee Bucks fall into a variety of categories, from established stars to known-quantity veterans to low-upside rotation player to long-shot prospects. Yet one player on the Bucks stands in a unique category, and that is center Thon Maker. No other player on the Bucks is at times barely a rotation player, but has the ceiling to be an All-Star.

The Thon Maker of the 2017-18 regular season was unreliable, at times bumped to third in the center rotation behind ground-bound centers John Henson and Tyler Zeller. The Thon Maker of the postseason was explosively versatile, knocking down jumpers and swatting shots.

The real Maker is going to be somewhere between the two versions we saw last year, but the Bucks need him to be towards the latter to keep him part of their plans. With former All-Star Brook Lopez in town, Henson still around and Giannis Antetokounmpo a tantalizing option at the 5, Maker has to earn his spot.

The Oct 31 deadline to pick up Maker’s fourth-year option is fast approaching, and the Bucks may be squeezed for cap space next summer, or potentially pressed against the luxury tax if everyone returns. The cost of a gangly prospect at center for a team expected to compete may be too much for Milwaukee. To keep Maker around they will need him to demonstrate he can begin to put it all together.