[NYFLAVA2K9Participant]

 Let’s face it, this site has never been too high on Thon Maker for one reason or another… Whether it’s questions about his true age or nitpicking his game (somewhat warranted), this kid can’t catch a break as he is currently mocked at the end of the first round in 2017. Now I’m not going to make any outlandish claims of him being some "super cyborg world beater" (puppy monkey baby) but this seems a little low to me considering the skill set he posesses especially at his size. I’ve been watching some recent footage of him (have been following him for years now) and I must say that I have been very impressed by his maturation. At the very least, I think we can start recognizing him as one of the more intriguing prospects to come along in some time and for good reason. He’s always been highly skilled for for a player his size on the perimeter which is where a lot of the intrigue comes from but he’s come a long way from the being the 7 foot bean pole with decent handles who can hit the occasional 3. He’s added on a good amount of muscle and his body looks like it will be up to the task of banging with NBA bigs in a shorter time than most thought possible. He’s done pretty much eveything that has been asked of him as far as adding muscle and you can see it in his willingness to play more in the post and initiate contact. He’s also becoming a much better defender although he still has much room for improvement as does any highschooler.What’s been most impressive to me though is that you can tell he really wants to be great. He’s been more vocal with his teammates while establishing himself as the clear cut leader and is really developing a mean streak that seperates the good from the great. Could we be looking at the next "Unicorn" and not realize it? How do you think him and the current "Unicorn" Kristaps Porzingis stack up as prospects? Do you think he should be ranked higher? Thoughts.

 

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

 The people that run the site aren’t high on him, I think it was because his body type being very thin. He has put on weight watch his recent videos. The kid has so much talent at such a young age being able to shoot with range and put the ball on the floor. He is up there with the best big man prospect I have ever seen. I don’t get why this site doesn’t see it with this guy, but saw it with Cody Zeller when the majority of the users didn’t.

 

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

 The people that run the site aren’t high on him, I think it was because his body type being very thin. He has put on weight watch his recent videos. The kid has so much talent at such a young age being able to shoot with range and put the ball on the floor. He is up there with the best big man prospect I have ever seen. I don’t get why this site doesn’t see it with this guy, but saw it with Cody Zeller when the majority of the users didn’t.

 

[Bankroll PJParticipant]

 I think people are afraid to evaluate and make predictions of Thon because there aren’t many players like him.  His mixtapes and highlights look incredible, but his whole floor game is not up to speed yet, but he has an incredibly high motor and appears to be very motivated so I think he’ll be fine.  College basketball will be a very telling time period for him as a prospect, as it has been for Skal Labissiere. And no I’m not saying he will underwhelm as Skal has this year, just saying college is a much better oppurtunity to scout players than HS and AAU ball.

[Bankroll PJParticipant]

 I think people are afraid to evaluate and make predictions of Thon because there aren’t many players like him.  His mixtapes and highlights look incredible, but his whole floor game is not up to speed yet, but he has an incredibly high motor and appears to be very motivated so I think he’ll be fine.  College basketball will be a very telling time period for him as a prospect, as it has been for Skal Labissiere. And no I’m not saying he will underwhelm as Skal has this year, just saying college is a much better oppurtunity to scout players than HS and AAU ball.

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

I remember MikeyV saying something about his legs being extremely thin and not being sold on him. Which I thought was weird because of his age also players that came before him with thin legs like KG or Davis. I think he could very well have the same impact on the defensive end like Nerlens Noel had in college, while his offensive talent will likely be toned down. I know he has the chance of flopping and being exposed like any big man going to the next level, but he is just so talented that I will be shocked if he doesn’t find his niche in do time

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

I remember MikeyV saying something about his legs being extremely thin and not being sold on him. Which I thought was weird because of his age also players that came before him with thin legs like KG or Davis. I think he could very well have the same impact on the defensive end like Nerlens Noel had in college, while his offensive talent will likely be toned down. I know he has the chance of flopping and being exposed like any big man going to the next level, but he is just so talented that I will be shocked if he doesn’t find his niche in do time

[evantomesParticipant]

Thon has definitely made strides. He has added strength but don’t see him banging with NBA bigs, as I wouldn’t label him as a banger at the high school level. He wants to be a stretch big (coming from the people around him). His mixtapes have created some ridiculous expectations. Some are under the impression he can play all five positions and lead a team to the Final Four next year, but his maturation is a process. I have been to eight of his games this season and his team is currently 0-8 in those games. The OP is right about Thon’s mean streak, he is not only competitive but understands the attention to detail. He’s a gym rat and a student of the game, but again it’s a process. This isn’t a knock on Thon but if you haven’t seen his game in person, your evaluation isn’t going to be accurate. The created player on a video game/best bigman prospect in years/could go number one expectations that some have in mind need to be toned down a bit. Thon definitely has room to move up on the board but the 2017 draft has more talent at the top than most years.

[evantomesParticipant]

Thon has definitely made strides. He has added strength but don’t see him banging with NBA bigs, as I wouldn’t label him as a banger at the high school level. He wants to be a stretch big (coming from the people around him). His mixtapes have created some ridiculous expectations. Some are under the impression he can play all five positions and lead a team to the Final Four next year, but his maturation is a process. I have been to eight of his games this season and his team is currently 0-8 in those games. The OP is right about Thon’s mean streak, he is not only competitive but understands the attention to detail. He’s a gym rat and a student of the game, but again it’s a process. This isn’t a knock on Thon but if you haven’t seen his game in person, your evaluation isn’t going to be accurate. The created player on a video game/best bigman prospect in years/could go number one expectations that some have in mind need to be toned down a bit. Thon definitely has room to move up on the board but the 2017 draft has more talent at the top than most years.

[Knicks44Participant]

I don’t understand why people are not hyping him up but it doesn’t matter. He is an amazingly talented high school player and I think his game will translate to NBA right away. He has improved his body and game this year and I think he will only get better. I would draft him top 3 this year if he was in this draft class. I think he will be a great NBA player if he stays healthy and improves every year like he does now. Hopefully he signs with St John’s and so does Rawle Alkins and they will have a pretty talented team for next year that can make it to the tournament.

[Knicks44Participant]

I don’t understand why people are not hyping him up but it doesn’t matter. He is an amazingly talented high school player and I think his game will translate to NBA right away. He has improved his body and game this year and I think he will only get better. I would draft him top 3 this year if he was in this draft class. I think he will be a great NBA player if he stays healthy and improves every year like he does now. Hopefully he signs with St John’s and so does Rawle Alkins and they will have a pretty talented team for next year that can make it to the tournament.

[Hype Machine]

I’ve been hypping Thon plenty on this site and to be honest most of the nitpicking has been unwarranted.

Age: People saying hes older than he is have no proof. This isn’t common practice in Australia and if anything hes probably younger. He would have been huge for his age when they decided how old he was when he arrived and overestimated his age.

Weight: Hes not skinny anymore….hes still young but its not a red flag. Makers is a gym rat and is going to be 250lbs in the NBA. We were all skinny as teenagers…its normal to fill out at the rate he is and he will be able to compete at the 5 spot in the NBA easily. Hes not Pekovic…but his athleticism will take him far.

His Guardian: Got a completely unfair reputation for not working in the kids best interests. My sources claim this to be untrue…and both Thon and his brother appear to be well cared for and shielded from the hype as much as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hype Machine]

I’ve been hypping Thon plenty on this site and to be honest most of the nitpicking has been unwarranted.

Age: People saying hes older than he is have no proof. This isn’t common practice in Australia and if anything hes probably younger. He would have been huge for his age when they decided how old he was when he arrived and overestimated his age.

Weight: Hes not skinny anymore….hes still young but its not a red flag. Makers is a gym rat and is going to be 250lbs in the NBA. We were all skinny as teenagers…its normal to fill out at the rate he is and he will be able to compete at the 5 spot in the NBA easily. Hes not Pekovic…but his athleticism will take him far.

His Guardian: Got a completely unfair reputation for not working in the kids best interests. My sources claim this to be untrue…and both Thon and his brother appear to be well cared for and shielded from the hype as much as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MopgrassParticipant]

 A unicorn, but a different kind. Porzingas is and will continue to be a better shooter. Maker is and will be better at dribbling and driving the ball. Maker is exactly a perfect center for today’s NBA (which is where his real value is). He’ll be able to stretch the floor, bang inside, keep up when they go small, and protect the rim. How many centers can you say that about? Probably Anthony Davis and eventually Myles Turner (the reason I was so high on Turner last year). Essentially, it’s rarified air. I don’t expect anybody to be better that AD. But where he beats Turner and the only place he may eventually edge AD is his extreme coordination. I’ve never seen such coordination at his height. In my experience, the more coordination, the better the scorer. He won’t come close to being the top rim protector, but he should be very solid. I’d be shocked if he got to Nerlens Noel level. Noel was a born rim protector and doesn’t need any time to pogo stick on up and Maker doesn’t have that. 

What separates HS and college freshmen from guys who are 22 is consistency (and, you know, a lot of things). Guys who work hard will turn every 3rd game being solid into nearly every game being solid. Maker works hard and his occasionally disappearance will also disappear in time. 

Yes, unicorn. 

[MopgrassParticipant]

 A unicorn, but a different kind. Porzingas is and will continue to be a better shooter. Maker is and will be better at dribbling and driving the ball. Maker is exactly a perfect center for today’s NBA (which is where his real value is). He’ll be able to stretch the floor, bang inside, keep up when they go small, and protect the rim. How many centers can you say that about? Probably Anthony Davis and eventually Myles Turner (the reason I was so high on Turner last year). Essentially, it’s rarified air. I don’t expect anybody to be better that AD. But where he beats Turner and the only place he may eventually edge AD is his extreme coordination. I’ve never seen such coordination at his height. In my experience, the more coordination, the better the scorer. He won’t come close to being the top rim protector, but he should be very solid. I’d be shocked if he got to Nerlens Noel level. Noel was a born rim protector and doesn’t need any time to pogo stick on up and Maker doesn’t have that. 

What separates HS and college freshmen from guys who are 22 is consistency (and, you know, a lot of things). Guys who work hard will turn every 3rd game being solid into nearly every game being solid. Maker works hard and his occasionally disappearance will also disappear in time. 

Yes, unicorn. 

[Author]

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