Thon Maker declares for the 2016 NBA Draft; must be ruled eligible.

[Snakehead]

I think he still has potential it's just a bit dialed back from the initial hype.  He's still 7 feet tall and still moves really well.  It's the same reasons Bender is so well thought of.  I wouldn't be surprised to still see him go in the first round.  It'd be a great gamble for us I think if we still have multiple picks.

[bdm860]

I shot a little over 90% from the line over the past two seasons.

Wait, what?

I don't know how he shot in 2014-15 or 2015-16, but he shot a fairly solid 78% in 2013-14 from the FT line on a massive 281 attempts in his sophomore season at Martinsville (reference:  maxpreps.com ).

I can't confirm the 90% over the last two seasons yet or if it's an exaggeration.  But the prior season confirms he's at least competent from the line.

I'm not surprised he shot nearly 80%, his routine and form at the line are great. But over 90%, for two years, at 8 attempts a game...that would put him in rare company. It would speak to something special about his potential as a shooter overall, and about his work ethic and ability to develop skills in general.

His HS stats must be available somewhere, right? I can't picture him misrepresenting or misremembering his own stats like that, but it'd be cool to see the numbers directly.

Stats for his two years at Martinsville, VA are available in his profile at maxpreps.com.  That's where I got those.  But his last two years (his graduating year and then this post-graduate, senior-eligible last year) were in Canada and those stats aren't in the maxpreps database.  I'll try to track them down.

According to his high school page, he shot 73% from the line in 6 games in the '15-'16 season, going 40-55.

Although to be fair, it looks like the site is missing stats for the last 4 games.  Also these stats appear only to be for conference games.  So there's probably another 15-25 games not represented here.  Doubt his free throw % is going to shift that much and that these stats just happen to catch him in a slump though.

[hpantazo]

I think it's great for us if he is allowed to enter this draft, but my question is, why now all of a sudden? It's not like his stock is high or even improved at all recently. He could gain a lot by waiting a year and playing college ball. Maybe he knows he would be exposed if he played a year of NCAA and may not even get drafted then?

Or did some NBA team sneak out a promise to him under the radar?

[Dino Pitino]

I shot a little over 90% from the line over the past two seasons.

Wait, what?

I don't know how he shot in 2014-15 or 2015-16, but he shot a fairly solid 78% in 2013-14 from the FT line on a massive 281 attempts in his sophomore season at Martinsville (reference:  maxpreps.com ).

I can't confirm the 90% over the last two seasons yet or if it's an exaggeration.  But the prior season confirms he's at least competent from the line.

I'm not surprised he shot nearly 80%, his routine and form at the line are great. But over 90%, for two years, at 8 attempts a game...that would put him in rare company. It would speak to something special about his potential as a shooter overall, and about his work ethic and ability to develop skills in general.

His HS stats must be available somewhere, right? I can't picture him misrepresenting or misremembering his own stats like that, but it'd be cool to see the numbers directly.

Stats for his two years at Martinsville, VA are available in his profile at maxpreps.com.  That's where I got those.  But his last two years (his graduating year and then this post-graduate, senior-eligible last year) were in Canada and those stats aren't in the maxpreps database.  I'll try to track them down.

According to his high school page, he shot 73% from the line in 6 games in the '15-'16 season, going 40-55.

Although to be fair, it looks like the site is missing stats for the last 4 games.  Also these stats appear only to be for conference games.  So there's probably another 15-25 games not represented here.  Doubt his free throw % is going to shift that much and that these stats just happen to catch him in a slump though.

Yeah, 90% free throw shooters rarely have stretches where they go 40-55. As impressive as it would be for him to actually be a 90% free throw shooter, it'd slightly undercut the impression he makes as a studious player if he mistook his FT% as 90 and it was really in the mid-70's.

Frustrated by how non-existent his stats are on the internet. I know he chose to play in Canada, but I didn't know he chose to play in 1997, lol.

[konkmv]

Ok take simmons ingramm or brown with the first and take skai and maker with 16 and 23..nothing to lose

[Emmette Bryant]

I think it's great for us if he is allowed to enter this draft, but my question is, why now all of a sudden? It's not like his stock is high or even improved at all recently. He could gain a lot by waiting a year and playing college ball. Maybe he knows he would be exposed if he played a year of NCAA and may not even get drafted then?

Or did some NBA team sneak out a promise to him under the radar?

I assume the biggest reason he is declaring is because this year's draft is weak next year's draft is so strong.

[slamtheking]

I think it's great for us if he is allowed to enter this draft, but my question is, why now all of a sudden? It's not like his stock is high or even improved at all recently. He could gain a lot by waiting a year and playing college ball. Maybe he knows he would be exposed if he played a year of NCAA and may not even get drafted then?

Or did some NBA team sneak out a promise to him under the radar?

I assume the biggest reason he is declaring is because this year's draft is weak next year's draft is so strong.

if true that's an interesting situation --> to early in a weak draft with lots of question marks about your own skills OR wait a year to try to prove the hype around you is real but come out in a stronger draft.

both situations could hurt his draft stock.  lower this year because there's no real body of work to evaluate so go on pure potential OR lower his stock next year by having to compete with other top college players or suffering a Skal-like hit to the draft stock if he doesn't perform as well as hoped.

[footey]

Good interview/article from David Aldridge:

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2015/12/23/20151222-btp-thon-maker.nba/

Apologies if already posted.

[saltlover]

I think it's great for us if he is allowed to enter this draft, but my question is, why now all of a sudden? It's not like his stock is high or even improved at all recently. He could gain a lot by waiting a year and playing college ball. Maybe he knows he would be exposed if he played a year of NCAA and may not even get drafted then?

Or did some NBA team sneak out a promise to him under the radar?

I assume the biggest reason he is declaring is because this year's draft is weak next year's draft is so strong.

Everything I've heard indicates it's uncertain the NCAA would grant him eligibility, so that's why he wants to go pro now.  I don't know if it's for grades or amateurism issues, but rather than waiting to be either granted or denied eligibility in October or November, like Mudaiy and Diallo, it makes sense to try to go pro now.

[CFAN38]

ESPN has us drafting him at 23.

Just a thought,

I wonder if the Cs good make a predraft deal with Maker that if he is available at #23 they will take him as long as he agrees to a Josh Huestis OKC type deal. Huestis was drafted in the first round but signed with OKCs D-league team for one season before signing with OKC the following year.

Not likely but a good situation for the Cs.

[loco_91]

I shot a little over 90% from the line over the past two seasons.

Wait, what?

I don't know how he shot in 2014-15 or 2015-16, but he shot a fairly solid 78% in 2013-14 from the FT line on a massive 281 attempts in his sophomore season at Martinsville (reference:  maxpreps.com ).

I can't confirm the 90% over the last two seasons yet or if it's an exaggeration.  But the prior season confirms he's at least competent from the line.

I'm not surprised he shot nearly 80%, his routine and form at the line are great. But over 90%, for two years, at 8 attempts a game...that would put him in rare company. It would speak to something special about his potential as a shooter overall, and about his work ethic and ability to develop skills in general.

His HS stats must be available somewhere, right? I can't picture him misrepresenting or misremembering his own stats like that, but it'd be cool to see the numbers directly.

Stats for his two years at Martinsville, VA are available in his profile at maxpreps.com.  That's where I got those.  But his last two years (his graduating year and then this post-graduate, senior-eligible last year) were in Canada and those stats aren't in the maxpreps database.  I'll try to track them down.

According to his high school page, he shot 73% from the line in 6 games in the '15-'16 season, going 40-55.

Although to be fair, it looks like the site is missing stats for the last 4 games.  Also these stats appear only to be for conference games.  So there's probably another 15-25 games not represented here.  Doubt his free throw % is going to shift that much and that these stats just happen to catch him in a slump though.

Yeah, 90% free throw shooters rarely have stretches where they go 40-55. As impressive as it would be for him to actually be a 90% free throw shooter, it'd slightly undercut the impression he makes as a studious player if he mistook his FT% as 90 and it was really in the mid-70's.

Frustrated by how non-existent his stats are on the internet. I know he chose to play in Canada, but I didn't know he chose to play in 1997, lol.

The probability of going 40-55 or worse on FT's, as a 90% FT shooter, is 0.0002. Even as an 85% FT shooter, it's 0.01. I think it's safe to say that Maker was guilty of exaggeration in that interview.

[slamtheking]

ESPN has us drafting him at 23.

very interesting that they think he'd last until then.  at 23 I'd definitely take a flyer on this kid. 

go BPA with Brooklyn pick and then take 2 bigs swings with Skal at 15 and Thon at 23.  could be an incredible haul in 3-4 years if they pan out.

[Denis998]

ESPN has us drafting him at 23.

very interesting that they think he'd last until then.  at 23 I'd definitely take a flyer on this kid. 

go BPA with Brooklyn pick and then take 2 bigs swings with Skal at 15 and Thon at 23.  could be an incredible haul in 3-4 years if they pan out.

he is now at 20

[Dino Pitino]

I shot a little over 90% from the line over the past two seasons.

Wait, what?

I don't know how he shot in 2014-15 or 2015-16, but he shot a fairly solid 78% in 2013-14 from the FT line on a massive 281 attempts in his sophomore season at Martinsville (reference:  maxpreps.com ).

I can't confirm the 90% over the last two seasons yet or if it's an exaggeration.  But the prior season confirms he's at least competent from the line.

I'm not surprised he shot nearly 80%, his routine and form at the line are great. But over 90%, for two years, at 8 attempts a game...that would put him in rare company. It would speak to something special about his potential as a shooter overall, and about his work ethic and ability to develop skills in general.

His HS stats must be available somewhere, right? I can't picture him misrepresenting or misremembering his own stats like that, but it'd be cool to see the numbers directly.

Stats for his two years at Martinsville, VA are available in his profile at maxpreps.com.  That's where I got those.  But his last two years (his graduating year and then this post-graduate, senior-eligible last year) were in Canada and those stats aren't in the maxpreps database.  I'll try to track them down.

According to his high school page, he shot 73% from the line in 6 games in the '15-'16 season, going 40-55.

Although to be fair, it looks like the site is missing stats for the last 4 games.  Also these stats appear only to be for conference games.  So there's probably another 15-25 games not represented here.  Doubt his free throw % is going to shift that much and that these stats just happen to catch him in a slump though.

Yeah, 90% free throw shooters rarely have stretches where they go 40-55. As impressive as it would be for him to actually be a 90% free throw shooter, it'd slightly undercut the impression he makes as a studious player if he mistook his FT% as 90 and it was really in the mid-70's.

Frustrated by how non-existent his stats are on the internet. I know he chose to play in Canada, but I didn't know he chose to play in 1997, lol.

The probability of going 40-55 or worse on FT's, as a 90% FT shooter, is 0.0002. Even as an 85% FT shooter, it's 0.01. I think it's safe to say that Maker was guilty of exaggeration in that interview.

Yep, if you start out 40-55, to get to 90% by the time you took your 200th free throw, you would need to have only missed 5 out of your next 145 shots, i.e., shot 96.5% the rest of the way. So, yeah, extremely unlikely. A wee bit disappointed he's not keeping track of his stats accurately. But he is still a good free throw shooter even at 75-80%.

[mmmmm]

I shot a little over 90% from the line over the past two seasons.

Wait, what?

I don't know how he shot in 2014-15 or 2015-16, but he shot a fairly solid 78% in 2013-14 from the FT line on a massive 281 attempts in his sophomore season at Martinsville (reference:  maxpreps.com ).

I can't confirm the 90% over the last two seasons yet or if it's an exaggeration.  But the prior season confirms he's at least competent from the line.

I'm not surprised he shot nearly 80%, his routine and form at the line are great. But over 90%, for two years, at 8 attempts a game...that would put him in rare company. It would speak to something special about his potential as a shooter overall, and about his work ethic and ability to develop skills in general.

His HS stats must be available somewhere, right? I can't picture him misrepresenting or misremembering his own stats like that, but it'd be cool to see the numbers directly.

Stats for his two years at Martinsville, VA are available in his profile at maxpreps.com.  That's where I got those.  But his last two years (his graduating year and then this post-graduate, senior-eligible last year) were in Canada and those stats aren't in the maxpreps database.  I'll try to track them down.

According to his high school page, he shot 73% from the line in 6 games in the '15-'16 season, going 40-55.

Although to be fair, it looks like the site is missing stats for the last 4 games.  Also these stats appear only to be for conference games.  So there's probably another 15-25 games not represented here.  Doubt his free throw % is going to shift that much and that these stats just happen to catch him in a slump though.

Yeah, 90% free throw shooters rarely have stretches where they go 40-55. As impressive as it would be for him to actually be a 90% free throw shooter, it'd slightly undercut the impression he makes as a studious player if he mistook his FT% as 90 and it was really in the mid-70's.

Frustrated by how non-existent his stats are on the internet. I know he chose to play in Canada, but I didn't know he chose to play in 1997, lol.

The probability of going 40-55 or worse on FT's, as a 90% FT shooter, is 0.0002. Even as an 85% FT shooter, it's 0.01. I think it's safe to say that Maker was guilty of exaggeration in that interview.

Yeah.   I was expecting that so not surprised.  Not a big deal. 

He does look like he's at least a pretty solid ~78% FT shooter and more importantly, his game seems to result in getting to the line a ton.   If those attributes translate to the NBA, that would be a positive thing.