Bucks rookie Thon Maker could be all-star in the making

NEW ORLEANS – Thon Maker could be the next Giannis Antetokounmpo.

At least the Milwaukee Bucks all-star thinks so.

Maker, the 19-year-old Bucks rookie, was in New Orleans this weekend for the NBA all-star festivities and attended Sunday night’s game to cheer on Antetokounmpo, playing in his first NBA All-Star Game.

Antetokounmpo was asked about his teammate earlier in the weekend and offered high praise for Maker, now inserted into the Bucks’ starting lineup.

“He’s playing great,” Antetokounmpo said. “He gained coach (Jason) Kidd’s trust. He doesn’t have a ceiling.

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“As he works harder and is doing what it takes to win, he’s going to get more minutes and he’s going to get a lot better.”

Asked what advice he has for Maker, Antetokounmpo said, “Spend as much time as you can on the court and just listen.”

Maker has been doing just that and said he is eager to get back to Milwaukee on Monday to begin preparing tor the season's final stretch.

But the center-forward enjoyed his time over the all-star weekend in New Orleans, where he started his U.S. journey before moving on to Virginia and eventually to a prep school in Canada.

He worked with the league's Basketball Without Borders initiative and coached some promising youngsters on Friday.

"They said you're really good at this," Maker said with a laugh.

Maker said he would love to be an all-star.

"That's a goal of mine, but team goals precede those," he said. "I try to keep this as a model, but if I play to win every single time, this will be a part of it."

Maker is getting a bigger opportunity with Jabari Parker out with his second anterior cruciate ligament tear. But right now the 7-foot-1 player from Australia and native of South Sudan is starting at center while Michael Beasley is at power forward.

That lineup should get an even closer look after the all-star break when the Bucks resume play Friday night at home against the Utah Jazz.

“Everybody talks about small ball, but when you look at the different lineups around the league, there’s a 7-footer on the floor that’s very gifted, that can put the ball on the floor, can shoot and can pass,” Kidd said before the break.

“I don’t know if it’s small ball. You look at Golden State ... Kevin Durant, you can call him 6-10 or 6-11; he’s close to 7 feet tall. For us, we have Giannis who can play any position.”

Maker fits into that equation as part of the Bucks’ all-length team. But he needs experience, just as Antetokounmpo did when he arrived on the scene in 2013.

“He’s a rookie,” Kidd said. “He’s going to make mistakes. His energy has been high.

“He loves to play and he works extremely hard. The beauty of this is his teammates want him to have success, too. When you see him on the floor, his teammates are cheering for him.

“He has put himself in this position because he has worked hard and been patient with the process.”

Maker’s best recent performance was a 12-point showing at Indiana in the Bucks' 116-100 victory. He showed his range by hitting 3 of 5 three-pointers, including a crucial one late in the game. He also started in victories over Detroit and Brooklyn as the Bucks compiled a three-game winning streak heading into the break.

“He’s really mature for his age,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think he can be at this (all-star) level one day. He’s better than me when I was his age.”

Maker said members of the Bucks organization had a group dinner on Friday, and he was able to connect with some friends in the Crescent City.

"I feel really good right now and I just want to get back in rhythm," Maker said. "I've taken three days off so far, and it feels bad. It feels real weird."

        Much drama: Durant had to face plenty of questions about how he would interact with former Oklahoma City teammate Russell Westbrook.

        Durant got a hostile reception when he returned to Oklahoma for the first time since signing with the Golden State Warriors. And he heard some boos at the all-star practice session on Saturday.

        But on Sunday night he and Westbrook were teammates for the Western Conference all-stars.

        “People aren’t worried about where I play. Well they worry, but it’s not a mystery about where I play,” Durant said. “There’s a lot of drama around me, but the game is still fun.

        “It’s basketball and people that support me will support me and people that love me still love me. Sometimes it’s tough. This just came around a few years back. It wasn’t like that when I first got in the league.”