After we were introduced to “Playoff Thon” a year ago against the Raptors, many fans thought his potential had arrived earlier than most expected.
2016-17: 4.0 PPG (46% FG, 38% 3Pt, 65% FT), 2.0 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 9.9 MPG, 57 games, 34 starts
2017-18: 4.8 PPG (41% FG, 30% 3Pt, 70% FT), 3.0 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 16.7 MPG, 74 games, 12 starts
Thon’s numbers did go up slightly across the board, but his minutes were close to doubled from his rookie season (+6.8 MPG) and there was not a whole lot of changes to show for that. Maker still has utmost potential to succeed in this league, however, as he showcased “Playoff Thon” for the second straight season, averaging 5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 21.7 minutes per contest against Boston. The intriguing thing is that Thon did not appear in game 1, and was only called upon during garbage time in game 2. The back injury to starting center John Henson opened the door for 20+ minutes for Thon, and he made his presence felt in game 3.
Watching and re-watching sequences like these makes Thon’s potential that much more exciting. It’s tough to know what his minutes/rotations will look like under new head coach Mike Budenholzer, but expect Thon to reach the 20+ minute mark in year three. Just weeks after Milwaukee’s elimination from the playoffs, Thon was seen working on his handles, which was quite impressive.
With John Henson and Tyler Zeller both under contract next season, and Giannis moving to the 5 at times, the center rotation will likely be very inconsistent. Deploying Thon at the 4 could be an interesting move, creating a double center lineup that has been demonstrated by Brad Stevens. Throughout the season, Stevens often inserted two of his centers (Al Horford, Daniel Theis, Aron Baynes and Greg Monroe) at the same time, which destroyed the Bucks at times in the playoffs when Khris Middleton had to guard Monroe.
Still not excited about Thon? Here’s one more highlight.
