WALTHAM, Mass. – Thon Maker is looking to do what no basketball player has done in more than a decade: Make the leap straight from high school basketball to the NBA.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was commonplace for a player to make the direct jump, but in 2006 the league ruled that a player must be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school in order to declare for the Draft.
That rule prompted many of today’s young prospects to go to college for a quick “one-and-done” collegiate stint before departing for the NBA, but Maker will not have to take that approach. Here’s why…
The 7-foot-1 forward, who worked out for the Celtics Thursday afternoon, has a complicated backstory – to say the least.
Maker was born in Sudan, moved with his family to Australia, then came to the United States to pursue basketball. He attended schools in Louisiana and Virginia, before moving to Ontario, Canada, where he played at Orangville Prep.
After graduating in 2015, he stayed on at Orangeville for a post-grad year; thus making the now-19-year-old eligible for the NBA Draft.
Maker is not the first to attempt this unconventional route. Last year, Satnam Singh Bhamara, a 7-2 center from India, also did a post-grad year (at IMG Academy in Florida) before declaring for the Draft. He was drafted 52nd overall by the Dallas Mavericks, though he has not yet made it to the NBA.
Going straight from high school to the NBA would be an intimidating prospect for many players, but Maker is confident with his decision to take the leap.
“I just felt comfortable with it,” he told reporters Thursday afternoon shortly after his workout. “I felt like it was the right move for me. I spoke with my family before I even decided, so that’s the best part about it because they’re all comfortable about it too.”
Drafting a player straight from high school certainly comes with its risks. Such young players are typically inexperienced and raw, making it difficult to judge how their professional careers will pan out. But sometimes organizations believe it’s a risk worth taking.
“We take guys sometimes as projects,” said Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge. “Sometimes you want the more ready-made guy, but that’s kind of the decision making process. It’s hard to choose between those types of guys.”
High school players are also typically not on the radars of NBA teams as much as college players would be. Maker, however, being one of the top recruits of his class, has made his game known around the league.
“He’s been known to us for quite awhile,” said Ainge, who says he has seen Maker play three or four times now. “[He’s] a 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 [adidas] Euro camp (in Treviso, Italy) last year, so he’s been around quite a bit.”
So, how does a team gauge a young prospect who only has high school experience under his belt?
“I think with young players we’re looking at tools,” said Ainge. “Do they have height, length, what’s there 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 just trying to look at the tools and imagine three or four years from now what they’re going to look like.”
That’s what makes these draft workouts so valuable when it comes to measuring the ability of a guy like Maker. It gives teams a chance to see him match up with a more experienced group of players, and Ainge said he was impressed with what he saw.
“He played really well, he played very hard… loved his intensity today,” said Ainge.
Austin’s father, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, also appears to be intrigued by Maker – at least judging by the young prospect’s comments.
“Mr. Ainge is very active,” said Maker. “Last night I was getting shots up, he was there on the floor and he was very excited. He’s just so into basketball. I love it. It was kind of motivating also.”
Maker prides himself on the defensive end where he’s capable of playing the 3, 4 and 5. He played mostly the 5 in high school, so at the moment he says he’s trying to improve his quickness so he can move out and defend the perimeter when needed.
He feels that his defense has set him apart from the rest of the competition during the workouts that he’s attended.
“I think I might be ahead defensively because I take pride in getting stops,” said Maker. “And then offense is catching up pretty fast because I’m getting a lot of reps in in these workouts. You’re getting a chance to show both, so by me having a chance to show offense at the same time is helping me get better. And I’m not worried about not making mistakes in these workouts, so I’m definitely getting better.”
That’s a solid sign of maturity and confidence, which should only help Maker during this process. With that being said, his lack of experience makes him one of the biggest question marks as we approach the Draft, but he’s undeniably one of the most intriguing prospects on the board.
