What did Thon Maker learn in his Celtics workout? 'I'm pretty good'/ Thon Maker's mark: Mystery man believes he's lottery pick

CSNNE

By A. Sherrod Blakely June 09, 2016 3:30 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC-Icj3FI18

WALTHAM, Mass. – Thon Maker can attest to there being many lessons that he and his fellow NBA draft hopefuls have learned in the recent weeks leading up to the June 23 NBA draft.

So following his workout with the Celtics on Thursday, his eighth workout overall, Maker was succinct in what he has taken away from the draft process thus far.

“About myself is that, I’m pretty good,” Maker said, grinning. “Yeah. I’m pretty good. I’m blessed to be in this situation.”

How good Maker is as a player and his readiness for the NBA, have been widely divisive topics of discussion among NBA executives and scouts.

He has the kind of game and potential that teams either love or loathe, which is why it’s anyone’s guess as to where he’ll be selected.

I asked Maker what is his camp hearing in terms of his draft status, and he said he wasn’t sure and then added that he’s hearing that he’ll be a lottery (top 14) pick.  However, a league source contacted by text Thursday afternoon said Maker’s stock “is on the rise, but lottery pick? I don’t think so unless he’s got a promise which would be kind of surprising.”

League sources contacted by CSNNE.com earlier this week indicated that Maker was likely a late first-round or early second-round candidate.

Regardless, one thing that has become abundantly clear throughout his workouts, is that some team will select Maker and make him the first high school player since current Celtic Amir Johnson (2005, second round pick of the Detroit Pistons) to be drafted straight out of high school.

Players are still not allowed to enter draft straight out of high school, but Maker attended his current school for an additional year which put him a year removed from his graduating class and thus was able to stay in this month’s NBA draft.

Ultimately Maker’s pro prospects comes down to one thing and one thing only … can he play?

While a workout doesn’t necessarily make or break a player’s pro future, the Celtics certainly saw some things in Maker following his Thursday morning workout that they liked.

Austin Ainge, Boston’s director of player personnel, said Maker “played very well” and added that he “played very hard.”

Bringing forth great effort has been a constant with Maker’s game which has seen him at one point being the top prep prospect to being a man some league executives wondered just a few weeks ago about whether he would even be drafted.

“I didn’t care too much about being ranked,” said Maker who added that he’s likely to work out for three or for more teams. “I just cared about getting better at all times. There was times when I moved to Canada and nobody spoke about it. You just have to keep trying to get better.”

And Maker will get that chance beginning June 23 when he’s drafted and continues on his basketball journey, picking up invaluable lessons learned along the way.

     
Tags: 2016 NBA Draft, A. Sherrod Blakely, Boston Celtics, NBA Rumors, Thon Maker
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thon Maker's mark: Mystery man believes he's lottery pick

ESPN

Chris ForsbergESPN Staff Writer

WALTHAM, Mass. -- When Thon Maker completed his pre-draft workout with the Boston Celtics on Thursday afternoon, he was asked what he's learned over the course of eight stops on what he expects to be at least an 11-team shuffle leading up to draft night.

"That I’m pretty good," Maker answered with a smile. "Yeah, I’m pretty good. I’m blessed to be in this situation. So I just got to continue to keep on working."

Dubbed an international man of mystery, Maker -- a 7-foot-1 big man born in Sudan, raised in Australia, and groomed recently in Canada -- hopes his pre-draft circuit confirms his belief that he is a lottery pick. Once the nation's top recruit while playing at Carlisle School in Martinsville, Virginia, Maker spent the past two years playing high school hoops in Ontario and, deemed draft eligible after graduating from Orangeville Prep in 2015, he'll be a rare North American product to make the leap directly to the NBA since the league blocked the prep-to-pro route a decade ago.
Seven-footer Thon Maker faces a difficult path selling himself to NBA evaluators since he bypassed college ball. AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

There have been lingering questions about Maker's age and whether he's truly 19. When asked how he responds to that accusation, Maker dipped into New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick's lexicon and offered, "It is what it is."

Maker says he never cared about being the nation's top recruit, but he's clearly trying to sell himself to NBA evaluators since he skipped the college path.

"I didn't care too much about being ranked No. 1 or whatever. I just cared about getting better at all times," said Maker. "There were times when I moved to Canada and nobody spoke about me, so that's the same way I have to look at it. Nobody is speaking about you, and you have to find a way to keep getting better. I did, and that's how I got to this point.

"[Canada] definitely was good for me. Because it helped me realize what I needed to do to continue to keep getting better. And to keep people thinking about me, just continue to keep on getting better. Canada allowed me to do that. I got stronger and just played all sorts of different positions, and I’m able to use those right now."

Maker sits 19th on Chad Ford's latest Big Board (having moved up five spots). Thursday's workout in Boston pitted him against two other first-round-caliber big men, Juan Hernangomez and Damian Jones.

Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge, always careful not to reveal too much from a private pre-draft session, said Maker "played very well, played very hard. Loved his intensity today."

Ainge said the team has seen Maker play three or four times in the scouting process and observed him at various stages of his development.

"He’s been known to us for quite a while," said Ainge. "Very highly rated high school guy, and he’s participated in a ton of camps -- Basketball Without Borders, two or three different camps run by the NBA, a few different shoe company camps. He was at the Treviso EuroCamp last year. So he’s been around quite a bit. Obviously, didn’t get to see him play in college or at a European pro level, but we have had a chance to see him quite a bit."

The lack of experience against college or European pro talent makes it tougher for league executives to gauge exactly where Maker projects in this year's draft.

"It’s always hard for anybody. It’s hard for college freshmen, even," said Ainge. "That’s the NBA draft -- we take some guys as projects, and we have before. Sometimes you want the more ready-made guy, but that’s the decision-making process. It’s hard to choose between those types of guys."

Ainge admitted that Thursday's workout was probably the most competitive situation in which the Celtics have seen Maker. Asked how he fared against his draft-eligible competition, Ainge said only, "He played well."

Added Ainge: "I think with young players, we’re looking at tools, right? You hear it a lot in baseball, but in basketball -- do they have height, length, what’s their skill level, what’s their competitiveness, their drive. We know that they’re not finished products. All young players, college freshmen, high school kids, European youngsters, we’re trying to look at the tools and try to imagine as best we can three or four years from now what they’re going to look like."

Maker said his goal Thursday was to show that he could hold his own against comparable big men, especially in regards to toughness.

"I think I might be ahead defensively, because I take pride in getting stops," said Maker, whose biggest criticism might simply be his slim frame and uncertainty about his position at the NBA level. "My offense, it's catching up pretty fast, but that's because I'm getting a lot of reps in. In these workouts, you are getting a chance to show both, so by me having a chance to show offense at the same time, it's helping me get better. I'm not worried about making mistakes in these workouts, so I'm definitely getting better."

Maker said the learning curve in jumping straight to the NBA does not discourage him.

"It’s very interesting, the learning part of it," said Maker. "Picking coaches’ brains, seeing Mr. [Danny] Ainge, he was very active. [On Wednesday] night, I was getting shots up and he was there on the floor and he was very excited. He’s so into basketball. I love that. That was kind of motivating also."


112288

DRAFT THE KID ON NEXT PICK AFTER #3!

YOU CANNOT TEACH BASKETBALL INSTINCTS ....YOU EITHER HAVE IT OR NOT AND THIS KID HAS IT. HE IS THE NEXT KG FOR SURE. HE CAN SHOOT THE BALL FOR 3 PTS RANGE AND IS A GREAT PASSER. HEY HE IS A GREAT DRIBBLER OF THE BALL AS WELL.!

112288

Jamal Murray says he's the best player in the draft. Thon Maker says he's a lottery pick. Yeah, we'll see.

He has bulked up to 215#. That is beyond rail-thin.

He is going to get pounded, absolutely pounded into paste, in the paint by NBA PFs. All the things people say about Kelly not being strong enough in the low blocks? Multiply that by 10. All the times we've oohed and ahhhed when Sully would bullshot his way inside against defenders? Thon Maker will be those defenders. KG weighed 230 when he came out of High School and I think his frame was bigger too, so putting on weight was easier. This kid may never get over 225-230#, on a 7'1" body.

On the up side the reports are saying he never takes a second off when he's on the floor. I suppose that's easy when you weigh nothing. Also, we need length. Last year we did a generally good job of sealing opponents on the base line with a double team, but then they'd shoot over them. We had the baseline and a defender on either side of them, but the lid of the box was still open. Maker coming over as a 3rd help defender would put the lid on the box. The concern on that, as I stated, is that if he is one of those two defenders then a shoulder into the middle of his chest will bump him off enough to take the lid off the box.

It would be fun watching him fly out to the arc to challenge a shooter, wouldn't it?


bob


.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2016/06/celtics_notebook_prospect_thon_maker_confident_he_can_make_it_in_nba



Celtics notebook: Prospect Thon Maker confident he can make it in NBA



Mark Murphy, Celtics Notebook Friday, June 10, 2016




Credit: AP photo
RISING STAR: Thon Maker prepares for the vertical leap test at the NBA draft combine. The 7-foot native of Sudan could make an impact at several positions.


 
WALTHAM — Thon Maker has seen more of the world than most 19-year-olds.

The Sudanese refugee grew up in Australia and later moved to Canada, where he played high school basketball.

This prospect brings a world of questions, too, beginning with his age. There’s no birth certificate to document Maker’s actual age. And it’s unclear if the 7-footer can dominate anyone beyond Canadian high schoolers.

Now that he’s working out for NBA teams — yesterday’s session for the Celtics was his eighth since the league’s scouting combine — Maker has discovered a few answers to his own questions.

“About myself? That I’m pretty good,” he said. “Yeah, I’m pretty good. I’m blessed to be in this situation. So I just gotta continue to keep on working.

“Defensively, I can play 3, 4, a little bit of 5,” he said. “But this year in high school, I played a lot of 5, so I’m getting back to my quickness, I gotta work it back up. Playing a little bit on the perimeter on the defensive end, just in case for the switches. Then, offensively, the 4 position, and spread the floor.”

Most of all, Maker appears to be holding his own against the toughest competition he has ever faced.

“He’s been known to us for quite a while,” said Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge. “Very highly rated high school guy and he’s participated in a ton of camps — Basketball Without Borders, two or three different camps run by the NBA, a few different shoe company camps, he was at the Traviso Euro camp last year. So, he’s been around quite a bit. Obviously, didn’t get to see him play in college or at a European pro level, but we have had a chance to see him quite a bit.”


Big shoes to fill

The Celtics Hall of Fame room, at the team’s suburban workout facility, holds an extensive collection of memorabilia behind glass. It was a point of interest for several players yesterday.

Mamadou Ndiaye, the 7-foot-6 center from UC-Irvine by way of Senegal, marveled at a pair of size-22 sneakers on display and once worn by Shaquille O’Neal. Ndiaye, the biggest player in this year’s draft field, wears a size-19 shoe.

Texas A&M 6-5 guard Alex Caruso was taken by a life-size portrait of Larry Bird.

“That’s the man, the great white hope,” said Caruso. “One of my uncles in seventh or eighth grade called me that. From there I stuck to it, trying to emulate him. The shot’s there, getting better and better.”

Ndiaye saw O’Neal play for the Celtics in his brief time with the 2010-11 team.

“My first NBA game was (in Boston), and Shaq was playing. I came here and watched with my cousin, and it was a big moment for me,” he said.

Ndiaye was asked if he was bigger than O’Neal at the time.

“No,” he said. “I was kind of a little bit chubby. But it was fun to watch.”


Passport to success

The Celtics continue to bring in a good number of international prospects, including Greek 7-2 center Georgios Papagiannis and Croatian 6-9 forward Nik Slavica.

The Celtics already have two players stashed overseas with 7-foot center Colton Iverson and 6-4 guard Marcus Thornton. The draft-and-stash strategy certainly may come into play this year with the team holding eight picks.

“Kids in Europe, when I go over there and have dinner with their agent, it’s usually one of the first things I ask them, what’s their contract situation, right?” said Ainge. “If they have a couple more years on this team and what’s their buyout and what do you think your plans will be and obviously that changes based on how well they played during the year, what their draft range is like and these types of things, so it’s just kind of an ongoing conversation. But it happens very early in the process.”

Ainge said the success of Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis hasn’t changed the league’s view of international players. It was strong before Porzingis came to New York.

“I think that it’s something like 20 percent of the NBA is international and I think a much greater percentage when you look at big guys,” Ainge said. “It’s something like 40 percent of big guys and I’m not exact on that, but it’s somewhere around there. So we need size, and we’ll scour the world for it as a league.”


bob


.

Bob, The kid is 18years of age. He has potential to grow another 2-3" and his body will mature as well so he will put on weight and muscle.

This kid has the ability to play small forward if you are concerned about being out muscled in the paint.

Oh, and forgive the oxymoron > small forward at 7'1"

112288

Maker's 19, the same age as KG when he entered the draft. KG was only 215-216 lbs when he entered the draft, just like Maker. And KG played SF his first year or two in the NBA.

I don't think Maker has a couple more inches of growth, but the next year could possibly see his wingspan grow a little more.


Rookie Kevin Garnett (33pts) vs. Celtics (1996)

Not at all sold on Maker or Murray, but I'm not doing the drafting.

Several posters here like both and there is a good possibility we could end up with one of them.  I've seen a lot of Murray and am limited when it comes to Maker, so in fairness my margin for error on Maker is higher.

I'll file this one under "really hope we pass on both."  If we take one, I'll have Fab and Young flashbacks, since my thoughts about NBA chances for those two were equally low. And just like with those two, I'll hope I have to change that to saying I was wrong.

I think the important things for everybody to remember on this topic are:

1.  We aren't at the work outs.
2.  We don't know what deals are in the works that might create a hole we don't currently have.
3.  It will take a year or two for Simmons and Ingram to be truly NBA impact players, and they are clearly the pick of this litter.  Everyone else will probably be role or bench players for their rookie and probably sophomore seasons, minimum.

Talking about this player or that, based upon their dimensions or even games we have watched them play, should be tempered with the knowledge that the road from scholastic sports to the pro leagues, in every sport, is littered with the roadkill bodies of athletes who looked great playing against lesser talents and/or less competitive natures than the ones they are about to be punched in the nose by.


bob


.

bob,

I agree that Maker will likely get pushed around due to his lack of size and also his strength, but I do see him gaining another 20-25 pounds over the next two years to get him up to 235-240.   Even at 240 and two years older he will still get pushed around by the really big guys in the league who hang out in the lane.

But, if he has the skills that some folks seem to think that he has, the bball IQ, the positional versatility, seemingly high levels of confidence and is tough enough to come back for more when he does get slammed every once in a while, I will not let the fact that he is skinny right now effect my drafting of him.

He might not be completely ready for NBA stardom at the moment, but he could become a high quality player down the short road.

There is a chance that the Cs will get a pretty good player with their pick at #16 and this guy could be one of them.

wideclyde wrote:bob,

I agree that Maker will likely get pushed around due to his lack of size and also his strength, but I do see him gaining another 20-25 pounds over the next two years to get him up to 235-240.   Even at 240 and two years older he will still get pushed around by the really big guys in the league who hang out in the lane.

But, if he has the skills that some folks seem to think that he has, the bball IQ, the positional versatility, seemingly high levels of confidence and is tough enough to come back for more when he does get slammed every once in a while, I will not let the fact that he is skinny right now effect my drafting of him.

He might not be completely ready for NBA stardom at the moment, but he could become a high quality player down the short road.

There is a chance that the Cs will get a pretty good player with their pick at #16 and this guy could be one of them.

Clyde,

20-25# in two years is A LOT of weight to put on without losing athleticism and mobility.

I agree he might be intriguing down the road.  Down the "short" road?  Not at 225#, which is about all we should expect in 2 years.  

Nevertheless, unless someone knocks their socks off at #16, I'd probably take him too.


bob


.

BobH wrote:Maker coming over as a 3rd help defender would put the lid on the box.

That's one of the most exciting things to me. Having the most vertical guy in the NBA flying in from SF for blocks, rebounds, and put-backs.

That's IF Ainge and Stevens are smart enough to play the 7'1 kid at SF.

And if we get him, of course.

bobheckler wrote:

wideclyde wrote:bob,

I agree that Maker will likely get pushed around due to his lack of size and also his strength, but I do see him gaining another 20-25 pounds over the next two years to get him up to 235-240.   Even at 240 and two years older he will still get pushed around by the really big guys in the league who hang out in the lane.

But, if he has the skills that some folks seem to think that he has, the bball IQ, the positional versatility, seemingly high levels of confidence and is tough enough to come back for more when he does get slammed every once in a while, I will not let the fact that he is skinny right now effect my drafting of him.

He might not be completely ready for NBA stardom at the moment, but he could become a high quality player down the short road.

There is a chance that the Cs will get a pretty good player with their pick at #16 and this guy could be one of them.

Clyde,

20-25# in two years is A LOT of weight to put on without losing athleticism and mobility.

I agree he might be intriguing down the road.  Down the "short" road?  Not at 225#, which is about all we should expect in 2 years.  

Nevertheless, unless someone knocks their socks off at #16, I'd probably take him too.


bob


.

Like I've said before, Maker weighed 225 all this past season, up until two months ago.

NY

God if I did not know the obvious...your post was something Sam would have written, and I would have responded in kind to him!

112288

Bob, It's easy to put on 8 pounds of muscle a year for anyone. 225# plus 16 = 241# by the time he's 21.

Where did you read he bulked up to 215#. I thought his weight had dropped recently to 215#. In any case, Danny will figure this out.

worcester wrote:Bob,  It's easy to put on 8 pounds of muscle a year for anyone. 225# plus 16 = 241# by the time he's 21.

Where did you read he bulked up to 215#. I thought his weight had dropped recently to 215#. In any case, Danny will figure this out.

I used to think Maker could get up to 240 pretty easily, but with how easily he lost 10 lbs from 225, and how skinny his legs are, now I'm not so sure.

He'll probably get to 240 eventually, but it might be a very slow process once he gets up to 230.

On the other hand, I like the idea of him staying at 215-220, maximizing his athleticism, and playing SF at least part time.

How did he lose the tens pounds and why? Those are important questions. Was it water weight? How long did it stay off? What is his weight now? Does he have any GI issues? Hopefully Danny will get all thee answers. Love Danny, but then he does have a blind spot when it comes to drafting centers. he's great at picking guards. Centers not so much.

112288,

Funny you should mention Sam. I was just looking at what is already getting to be a crowded summer schedule, and thought that I need to contact Sally to let her know when we would be there. I realized that after so many years of getting in touch with Sam on dates, that wasn't going to happen any more. Strange feeling to be sure.

Regards

arambone wrote:

bobheckler wrote:

wideclyde wrote:bob,

I agree that Maker will likely get pushed around due to his lack of size and also his strength, but I do see him gaining another 20-25 pounds over the next two years to get him up to 235-240.   Even at 240 and two years older he will still get pushed around by the really big guys in the league who hang out in the lane.

But, if he has the skills that some folks seem to think that he has, the bball IQ, the positional versatility, seemingly high levels of confidence and is tough enough to come back for more when he does get slammed every once in a while, I will not let the fact that he is skinny right now effect my drafting of him.

He might not be completely ready for NBA stardom at the moment, but he could become a high quality player down the short road.

There is a chance that the Cs will get a pretty good player with their pick at #16 and this guy could be one of them.

Clyde,

20-25# in two years is A LOT of weight to put on without losing athleticism and mobility.

I agree he might be intriguing down the road.  Down the "short" road?  Not at 225#, which is about all we should expect in 2 years.  

Nevertheless, unless someone knocks their socks off at #16, I'd probably take him too.


bob


.

Like I've said before, Maker weighed 225 all this past season, up until two months ago.

arambone,

A 19 year old losing 10# due to intense work outs is disturbing.  The work outs aren't going to get lighter if he is drafted with an expectation of making the 15 man roster.


bob


.

worcester wrote:Bob,  It's easy to put on 8 pounds of muscle a year for anyone. 225# plus 16 = 241# by the time he's 21.

Where did you read he bulked up to 215#. I thought his weight had dropped recently to 215#. In any case, Danny will figure this out.

worcester,

I put bulked up in italics, I should have put it in quotes. I was being facetious.


bob


.

worcester wrote:How did he lose the  tens pounds and why? Those are important questions. Was it water weight? How long did it stay off? What is his weight now? Does he have any GI issues? Hopefully Danny will get all thee answers. Love Danny, but then he does have a blind spot when it comes to drafting centers. he's great at picking guards. Centers not so much.

You guys keep having this weight discussion and it served as a reminder. Time to abandon the office and drag my backside over to go work out. Thanks, I needed that!

JUST AN FYI


Maker attended the 2016 NBA Draft Combine, where he was measured as the third-tallest player without shoes at 6'11.75" and recorded the highest no-step vertical jump (32") of any player over 6'11" in NBA Draft Combine history.

112288

112288 wrote:JUST AN FYI


Maker attended the 2016 NBA Draft Combine, where he was measured as the third-tallest player without shoes at 6'11.75" and recorded the highest no-step vertical jump (32") of any player over 6'11" in NBA Draft Combine history.

112288

112288,

I could jump higher when I weighed 40# less too. How many players over 6'11" have weighed in at the Combine at 215#?

My question is "will he still be able to jump when he has a player who outweighs him by 30# of muscle holding him down with his elbow on top of Maker's arm?".

In the open floor he might be a gazelle, but in the half court set, in the paint, he's jockeying for position with lions.


bob


.

worcester wrote:How did he lose the  tens pounds and why? Those are important questions. Was it water weight? How long did it stay off? What is his weight now? Does he have any GI issues? Hopefully Danny will get all thee answers. Love Danny, but then he does have a blind spot when it comes to drafting centers. he's great at picking guards. Centers not so much.

He only got up to 225 by being diligent in the gym and the cafeteria.

The trainers he's been with don't seem to have had him lift any weights at all for the past three months.

Brandon Ingram, who Maker has been training with under the same trainers, said recently that he hasn't been lifting weights at all.


It's like the trainers know these 18-19 year olds are going to need some time (years) to grow into their bodies, and they're just avoiding weights altogether.

Anybody freaking out about 5-10 lbs on teenage 7 footers should probably chill a little.

bobheckler wrote:

112288 wrote:JUST AN FYI


Maker attended the 2016 NBA Draft Combine, where he was measured as the third-tallest player without shoes at 6'11.75" and recorded the highest no-step vertical jump (32") of any player over 6'11" in NBA Draft Combine history.

112288

112288,

I could jump higher when I weighed 40# less too.  How many players over 6'11" have weighed in at the Combine at 215#?

My question is "will he still be able to jump when he has a player who outweighs him by 30# of muscle holding him down with his elbow on top of Maker's arm?".

In the open floor he might be a gazelle, but in the half court set, in the paint, he's jockeying for position with lions.


bob


.

Bob, ever since the Combine you've been acting like Maker's record breaking athletic testing is purely on account of his weight.

Show me the video of teenage Bob Heckler flying around the gym, just because you didn't weigh much.

Didn't think so.

Maker is 7'1 and he jumps 36+ inches. That's a big big deal, and if it wasn't, Maker wouldn't have been breaking records at the Combine. Because some of the dozens of similarly skinny 7 footers who get tested every single year would have set a higher record.