Offense
What makes the 19-year-old prospect so tantalizing is the polish and versatility of his offensive repertoire. Maker has been taking players nearly half his size off the dribble with ease and possesses an impressive step-back jumper for a young big man. With his superior height, the NBA hopeful could have easily been a traditional post player and still dominated. Instead, he fine-tuned his perimeter game and can play defenders inside and out.
However, for much of last year, scouts began souring on his prospects, underwhelmed by his poor scoring in the Nike Hoops Summit and skeptical that his slight frame would hold up on a professional level.
Maker listened, spent an extra year as a super-senior at Athlete Institute in Canada, and has now reinvigorated NBA scouts across the country. In July 2015, Maker impressed at the Under Armour All-American Camp and won two MVP awards during the 2015 BWB America’s All-Star Game and the 2015 NBPA Top 100 Camp.
The 7-footers only shot around 40 percent from the field during his time at Athlete Institute, but the poise and consistency of his offensive repertoire, as well his overall build, has improved since his disappointing performance at the 2015 Hoops Summit.
Thon Maker's stock dipped tremendously as a junior, but he's been very good since then -- motor, length, rebounds, touch, added strength.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 4, 2016
At his size, the ability to effectively stretch the floor and take opposing big men off the dribble should do wonders to his draft stock and cement him as an ideal blueprint for the 2016 NBA landscape.
Until the 19-year-old is fully cleared for eligibility, we won’t know much more about how his offensive game will translate to the unrelenting pressure on the professional level. Still, he’s given us more than enough to sink our teeth into while we wait for the league’s decision on his status.
Next: Defensive Breakdown