Summer League

Read this morning Vaughn had 4 stitches in his right index finger from a cut earlier in the week. That may have impacted him a bit. 

Might have - but he's been a real disappointment in his brief career.  The guy is a shooter and he's probably hitting at less than 20% 

Could open the door for another guy like Petteway.  That guy was a scoring machine at Nebraska.  Maybe too much scorers mentality and it's not like the summer leagues are known for stellar D. 

Thon with 12 points and 12 boards in 22 minutes?!?   Wow 

Vaughn having a nice game after I jacked him up 

A loss but Maker finished with 17 points and 17 boards and 2 blocks in 32 minutes.   Again, it's summer league competition but this is very encouraging.  The last time I saw a Milwaukee big man contest shots and hit the glass like this was Larry Sanders - and unlike LS he doesn't have attitude or motivation problems. 

All you really get to know in summer league is if they have game. Maker has it, no doubt about that. 

He is more like Kevin Garnett than I originally thought. He attacks shots in the paint, and has a pretty solid sense of timing. That's not taught- and will only get stronger with more experience. But when he is up against really NBA forwards, he's going to get banged around, and that's ok. It'll be part of the process. 

But this kid can contribute early. He's not Giannis- he's a big man, a 4/5. Giannis is a 2/3 with freakish height. There's no similarity in their games at all. And for that reason (among others) this is a super pick. If he lives up to his potential, they now have a more complete lineup. Giannis and Jabari attacking the paint, and this Maker kid gets one on ones all day inside and outside. 

I think this is going to really set this team apart in a few more years. I know it sounds silly, but 2018-19 is going to be amazing. They'll all be entering their primes... 

He takes a lot of shots and I'm OK with that if they are of the high percentage variety.  The thing with this kid is I don't want him to think he's Kevin Durant because he's not.   He's really a big man and should play that way but to your point he needs to get stronger. 

Garnett was always wiry- he was still a man in the post both ways. Maker can be that. Absolutely can be that...

Defensively he reminds me somewhat of KG - especially when he's outside of the paint. But KG was a top 10 player (IMO) defensively all time. He could defend a PG and a PF.   

Offensively, I think Maker is just a different kind of guy.  He's not Giannis and he's not Durant.  He's more of a free lancer and that can be refined over time. 

I think next to Dunn in Minnesota that Maker could become the best guy in the draft.  Just a unique talent, but he's coachable and isn't lazy and doesn't seem to take himself too seriously