Isaac
Years ago

Thon Maker cleared by NBA to enter draft

Projections seem to be late first round or second round. A lot of chitchat from people not very high on him, so we'll see.

As with others (including Exum and Simmons), the current draft game appears to be going while your stock is there.

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Curtley  
Years ago

He's discovered the loophole that means you don't need to have ever really played consistently against quality opposition and still get drafted.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

cliff Alexander springs to mind as a comparison. happy to be proved wrong

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RMQ  
Years ago

I wonder what his legal implications may be if an NBA team drafts him thinking he's 19, but then finds out he is not?

I'm not sold that he is only 19.

He's talented, but I think he's closer to 23 years old.

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Isaac  
Years ago

Wow, we almost had a thread about an African basketball player without a reference to his age. Almost!

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RMQ  
Years ago

His race has nothing to do with it.

And pretty sure he is Sudanese, not African? or are they the same thing? I dunno.

It's not because he is African that we are questioning his age. It is because it is RUMORED that he migrated to Australia with no birth certificate, and by the time a birth certificate was made, his age was younger than what he actually was.

This has benefits and is common. However in an industry where age, longevity and potential are big issues it should be talked about.

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Baller#3  
Years ago

Na Sudans in Northern Europe I think, they don't believe in birth certificates up there.

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ME (he/kangaroo)  
Years ago

He is looking like a red herring. He was very good a few years ago, but everyone else caught up and he never developed physically. He is still the same beanpole he was when he turned up in the US, and that just seems to be his body type.

He will go to the D league, probably get crushed, and end up in some obscure second-tier European league. I'd love to be proven wrong. He looked like a generational talent at one point. But then again, so do a lot of kids that go nowhere a few years later.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Might be a suitable candidate for an NBL marquee player in a few years?

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Anon  
Years ago

(Mod: Removed at author's request.)

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Good luck to him.

I hope he turns into a star

But i must admit this reminds me alot of ater majok who was also the next stud player before anyone had seen him play against strong competition

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Isaac  
Years ago

RMQ, poor record keeping as much as anything. People said the same things about Yao and Yi. Suspicion of foreigners. I just think it's better to leave it out of the discussion unless you have real information.

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RMQ  
Years ago

How long did Yao and Yi last?

I'm not nor will I ever be an NBA GM. But if I was, a players age would be something I'd consider when drafting them.

A 19 year old with potential has to be better than a 23 year old with the same potential right?

I'm not doubt Thon's ability. I'm just amazed there's so little discussion about his age and the effect it would have on his professional career.

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Luuuc  
Years ago

There's so little discussion because there is so little to discuss.
I doubt anyone would dispute age being a factor when trying to assess a player's current development and future potential, but in the absence of any concrete proof of anything and presumably no simple way to find out his true age, how much is there to really talk about?

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Sitiveni  
Years ago

Friends of ours adopted 2 kids from Ethiopia and they don't know exactly how old they are. One kid is 15 and the other 13 but they think their both at least one or possibly two years older.

Think it happens a lot in African countries

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Mick  
Years ago

He is nothing like Ater Majok.

Thon is a finesse offensive player, unfortunately at this stage he can't play on the perimeter (too slow / uncoordinated / can't shoot / no feel for the game), yet he has no post moves and doesn't like contact so can't play inside.

He's stuck in no man's land, like all of the "stretch" bigs that can't shoot.

The plan to turn him into "the next Kevin Durant" instead of "the next Kevin Garnett" was a HUGE mistake.

However, the biggest knock on him -- and it's huge -- is he has terrible hands. They're way too small. You can't make it at that size with bad hands.

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Train  
Years ago

If the kid can ball who really cares about his age. He obviously has a decent amount of talent otherwise he wouldn't be getting a look. Lets judge him after a couple of NBA seasons under his belt.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Can't say I was ever super high on him.. I think he would be a good player at NBL level but I just don't see it at NBA level. It's amazing what the US/youtube hype train can accomplish! I mean he's 7'1 and shoots less than 40% at HIGH SCHOOL level as a second year senior.
Good decision not to go to college though - he would have been exposed. At least now he has a shot of a guaranteed contract at the end of the first round.

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BigAds  
Years ago

But Train, he's likely to be retired within a few seasons :-)

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Anonymous  
Years ago

RMQ, what are you basing him being closer to 23 on?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

(Mod: Hello, my name is anon and I want to get sued...)

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Anonymous  
Years ago

What amazes me isn't his age being in dispute, the comment about Sudan not being in Africa, WTF???

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I bet $1000 he isn't 19!

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Dazz  
Years ago

The problem lies in believing that he is somehow "special". Sure, in Australia, its only recently that we have seen these athletic 7ft kids from Sudan, but the Yanks have been raiding Africa (in one way or another) for a very long time. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of "Ed Smiths" all doing the same thing. Buying kids in Africa and selling them to high schools and colleges.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Ed smith is slave owners......? Is that what your saying?

Football has same thing it's a version of modern day slavery just with guardians & agents getting there pockets lined

Reply #585741 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Except the fact that if they do make it they stand to make millions of dollars for themselves.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Guess it's ok for the slave to earn some...he"ll spend it all and end up broke 3 years after he is done anyway while Ed's a guardian of a new starlet

Reply #585755 | Report this post


Dazz  
Years ago

You can make up your own mind about the "uncle Eds" of the world. They get parents (or aunties etc) who are often illiterate to sign over guardianship of the kids. The kids gets dragged allover the world, to whatever team will line his pockets, usually avoiding anything resembling an actual education. When the kid doesn't make it to the NBA (as the vast majority do not) he is left broke, uneducated, and bitter.

I'm not a big fan of the "system" as it is, but at least if these kids got a high-school level education, and hopefully even a college diploma, out of it, that would be something.

The really bad part about kids like Thon, is that they are being taken from Australia where they would have received a decent FREE education any way.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Emmanuel Malou also going into draft?

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