Thon is short for… nothing. He is 7-1.
He is also the surprise pick of the draft, which means some people are all worked up about it. He is 19 years old, and he is not a polished player. He has weaknesses. Go ahead and watch his weaknesses video to balance things, because this story? This is a story about things to like about Thon. No one covers prospects like Draft Express, and these are 10 things straight from that source, things that give me intrigue, at the least.
1. The first four are from this interview, which you should read its entirety. He will be paid to play hoops and not to answer questions impressively, but impressively he answers questions nonetheless. Yes, he likens his game to Kevin Garnett; would you prefer that he compare his game to Jonathan Bender?
Speaking of him and of him, Thon’s forthrightness in describing his decision to skip college is not the stuff boilerplates are made of. This is a thinking man’s answer, and perhaps even better, a self-aware obsessive’s answer.
“If I went to college I could not see myself not taking my academics seriously. I would want to take serious classes and do well in them. I would have to split time in my focus. My approach is to always go all out and try to be the best if I'm going to do something.”
2. Talking about basing housing on proximity to the practice facility is something from the Giannis playbook.
“It's more important for me to be picked where I fit. When I'm on an NBA team I'm going to get my apartment five to ten [minutes] walking distance to the practice facility. I'm going to live in the gym. I'm just ready to go to work every day. I want to be picked early, but I also want to go where it is a good fit.”
3. Talking about improving as a shooter, Thon volunteers the distinction between the practice of shooting a high quantity of shots versus the practice of shooting a high quality shot. This time of the year, everyone likes to hear about a player shooting 1,000 shots a day in the gym. But if you are doing it wrong each time, that just reinforces a negative.
“Shooting the ball well is not as important as how you shoot the ball. If I make 1000 game shots a day for the next five years, I'll be a great shooter. My mechanics have to be sound. My footwork and balance has to be sound.”
4. Okay, okay, about that shooting. Stats (in-depth and meaningful ones, anyway) are hard to come by for this prep-to-pro, but seven-footers who shoot in the 90s at the stripe tend to be okay, okay, about that shooting. (Draft Express notes in his strengths video that he shot 71 percent from the free throw line, so looking for a little clarification here.)
“That is a strength of mine. My mindset is that everything is going in. I look at Kristaps Porzingis and I think about how he is used in the NBA. I can do that. He is a mobile big.
“If you put me in a wide pin down, Iverson cut, stagger double, horns action, or any pinch post action I can score or help my team score. I can hit the trailing three or pick and pop off the ball reversal. I shot a little over 90% from the line over the past two seasons. That's with going to the line about 8 times per game. Making shots consistently in the future won't be a problem. If you consistently work at something with a purpose, you can perfect it.”
5. So he speaks well. And he can move his body around a bit, too. Thon posted a no-step vertical of 32 inches. That is the highest in combine history among players 6-11 or taller. He is fancied as a potential shot-blocker, as a guy who can play above the rim, and while blocking shots is largely about timing (Draft Express notes that he has “solid timing” and is “fairly quick off his feet”), he sure will be high up there.
6. Now that you are done watching his weaknesses video, you should probably also check out his strengths video. One of the first points they make is that Thon projects as a rim runner. This jives nicely with the strengths of the young stars in Milwaukee. Yes, all teams like to say they want to push the ball in the open court, but the Bucks can and should make that a reality, and stylistically, Thon figures to fit.
7. Also from his strengths video: “Motor is always running. Likes to compete.” A low motor is probably the reddest flag of all among hoops hopefuls. Sure, Maker may not be Kevin Garnett, but he appears willing to get after it on the boards (in particular, they note how he flies in for offensive rebounds), does not shy from contact, and the word “energy” pops up a ton on his Draft Express profile.
8. He is called a “capable shooter”. At 7-1, at 19, that is a start.
9. From an evaluation by Jonathan Givony (who runs Draft Express), it is noted that Thon “will pass ahead in transition.” That is a terrific thing to do on this Milwaukee team. In general, when considering a player (in any sport, really), passing (both willingness and proficiency) is right at the top of my list. When teams and offenses really rise to the top (Warriors and Spurs of recent years, for example), you find that just about every regular is a quality passer. Hopefully, Thon can be a regular and a passer.
10. Givony also says this: “Looks like a great teammate. Intelligent guy off the court.”
If the Bucks are going to swing for the fences, then swing for the fences on the young, the physically-rare, the intelligent, the willing passers, the defensive-minded, the ones with ever-running motors, the great teammates.