Realistic Expectations for Milwaukee Bucks Rookie Thon Maker in 2016-17

The Milwaukee Bucks made the most shocking move of the 2016 NBA draft by selecting Thon Maker with the 10th overall pick.

The biggest unknown in this year’s rookie class because of the few times NBA teams had the chance to scout him, Maker was allowed to enter the draft without going to college since he had spent the last year at a postgraduate prep school in Canada. (So he was, as the rule specifies, one year removed from high school.)

But by choosing the prep school route, scouts had only been able to view him a handful of times at all-star events. The luxury of the one-and-done rule is that it allows NBA teams to see prospects play in pressure-packed situations against legitimate college talent.

On top of the lack of a real sample size, there were also questions entering the draft about whether Maker’s really only 19, according to Jake Fischer of SI.com. Watch Milwaukee’s behind-the-scenes footage of the draft room, and it’s obvious the front office was aware that taking him that high was a reach.

The skepticism about Maker’s abilities is starting to fade after his performance in Las Vegas. He was an All-NBA Summer League second-team selection after averaging 14.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

“I think he’s answered that he can rebound the ball, and he’s playing extremely hard on both ends,” Milwaukee head coach Jason Kidd told ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth during a summer-league telecast against the Dallas Mavericks. “He’s young. He’s only 19 years old, and he’s got a lot to learn about the game, but his effort and energy is at a very high level.”

The Bucks have the depth at power forward with Jabari Parker and Mirza Teletovic to bring Maker along slowly. 

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The best thing that Maker does right now is shoot pick-and-pop jumpers, but that’s also a skill set both Parker and Teletovic bring to the table. Milwaukee’s hope down the road is that Maker can play alongside Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo anyway.

“Could you ever imagine, three years down the line when we’re moving toward becoming a championship-caliber team, could you see having Giannis and Jabari and Thon at the floor at one time?” general manager John Hammond told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Charles F. Gardner. “I think it has a chance to be pretty dynamic, and I don’t know who is playing what position, but hopefully we’re going to be pretty good doing it.”

The Bucks experimented with Antetokounmpo at point guard last year, and Parker could play small forward, or Maker could move to center …

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