Milwaukee Bucks rookie forward Thon Maker punched a DeMar DeRozan layup attempt off the backboard in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
Thon Maker looked like Kevin Garnett when he swatted DeMar DeRozan’s shot off the glass
Could be a sign of things to come in the near future.
It was one of Makers’ two blocks in the third quarter and immediately led to a Giannis Antetokounmpo and-one finish at the other end.
The Bucks drafted the 20-year-old Maker No. 7 overall in last year’s NBA Draft, and he’s part of a Milwaukee starting lineup that features another rookie in Malcolm Brogdon. He was the first player to jump from high school to the NBA in 10 years.
The Bucks weren’t sure what they were getting offensively when they selected Maker in the draft, but at 7’1, the defensive potential was there. He averages a half-block but sees the court for less than 10 minutes per game.
Milwaukee believes in him the same way they believe in Antetokounmpo.
If his swat of DeRozan’s layup is any indication of what his potential could look like as a rim-protector, the Bucks may have hit the jackpot in the draft yet again.
