Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most difficult players in the league to guard, and no one knows that better than Antetokounmpo's former Bucks teammate and current Detroit Pistons big man Thon Maker.
Maker says that the challenge of defending Giannis does not come down to one person. It comes down to a team effort:
“As you see throughout the league, it’s not a one-man effort,” said Maker, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “You have to have the whole team locked in. He commands a lot and when he sees a double-team, he picks that apart.”
Maker spent two-and-a-half seasons as Antetokounmpo's teammate in Milwaukee before getting traded to Detroit at the deadline back in February.
In 29 games for the Pistons this year, Maker averaged 5.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over 19.4 minutes per game while shooting 37.3 percent from the floor, 30.3 percent from three-point range and 76.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Through 64 contests on the season overall, the 22-year-old registered five points and 3.2 boards across 15.2 minutes a night while making 40.7 percent of his field-goal attempts, 32 percent of his long-distance tries and 66.7 percent of his foul shots.
Maker, who is originally from Sudan, was selected by the Bucks in the first round (10th pick overall) of the 2016 NBA Draft.
He played in 57 games and made 34 starts during his rookie campaign, recording four points and two rebounds through 9.9 minutes per game. Then, last year, Maker appeared in 64 games and recorded 4.8 points and three boards a night.
The Pistons will open up their first-round playoff series with the Bucks on Sunday evening.
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