As the 2022 NBA draft is around the corner, the 6-foot-11 Maker talked with HoopsHype about his journey and the outlook of his young career. It seems like you’re always on the move. Tell me a bit about your journey Makur Maker: I’ve been traveling since I been a young kid. It’s all just to chase my dream. Been a long journey, but I’m really enjoying it. Grew up in Australia, then traveled to L.A. when I was young to pursue my basketball dreams. And then from there on just moved to follow the competition.
Tag: Makur Maker
What do you feel like you’ve done in …
What do you feel like you’ve done in the past season that you think should solidify you to be more than just a second-round pick (projected)? Makur Maker: The biggest thing is just the right fit. A team that sees my skill and potential. willing to build off that. This last year in the NBL I used it as my rookie year. I didn’t get a chance to play a lot – I didn’t get the minutes I wanted to. I had to shift my mindset and play a role that can contribute to winning. That was rebounding, defending, running the lane hard, scoring, setting good screens, things like that
Apple TV+ has announced that its …
Apple TV+ has announced that its documentary about NBA hopeful Makur Maker “The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball,” will premiere alongside its basketball series about “Magic” Johnson. Previously titled “Big Man on Campus,” Apple says that the new documentary series about Maker will follow his “groundbreaking decision to forgo the NBA and play for Howard University.
2022 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0: Debut rankings of the top 101 prospects
Let’s be honest. Ranking the best NBA draft prospects is a fool’s errand. But evaluating this class is an especially challenging assignment.
Let’s be honest. Ranking the best NBA draft prospects is a fool’s errand. But evaluating this class is an especially challenging assignment.
One of the top pre-season prospects (Patrick Baldwin Jr.) is playing for a mid-major program that has just two wins so far this season. Other top prospects (AJ Griffin and Peyton Watson) are not getting much playing time for their high-major programs. Meanwhile, guard Jean Montero is playing in the inaugural Overtime Elite league. How do we compare his productivity to other prospects? I’m frankly not sure.
But nevertheless, my big board exists. Rather than going small, I decided to blow it up and do the opposite. Why did I go ahead and rank 101 prospects if this class has been so challenging to evaluate? There are two distinct reasons.
One is that I’m absolutely crazy and get a very fulfilling satisfaction with the completion of a mock draft and big board because it feels complete. It looks awesome seeing as many names as I can fit on one article, even if the science behind the rankings is a bit inconclusive.
The other reason is that as I make more big boards throughout the year, it’s interesting to track the progress (and regression) of certain prospects. I am inevitably wrong about most of these placements! But this article serves as a barometer for where I feel certain players are at in their development right now.
Note that several notable prospects (e.g. freshmen Max Christie, Matthew Cleveland, Nolan Hickman, Hunter Sallis, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jeremy Sochan, Kobe Bufkin) were excluded because I expect them to go back to school to improve their draft stock.
More likely than not, some of those players will declare for the 2022 NBA draft. When that happens, I obviously will not have them outside of my top 101.
Until then, as we prepare to turn the calendar into a new year, here are the debut rankings for 101 of my favorite prospects.
All stats are accurate as of Dec. 14 and are from Sports-Reference unless noted otherwise.
Aggregate NBA mock draft 2.0: Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith battle for No. 1
In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, Basketball News and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.
Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.
Since our last update, the players who have improved the most spots are Ismael Kamagate (Paris), Moussa Diabate (Michigan), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Hugo Besson (New Zealand), Efe Abogidi (Washington State), Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Max Christie (Michigan State), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), and Ochai Agbaji (Kansas).
The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Trevor Keels (Duke), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), MarJon Beauchamp (G League Ignite), Keon Ellis (Alabama), Christian Koloko (Arizona), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), Josh Minott (Memphis), Zach Edey (Purdue), and Johnny Davis (Wisconsin).
Some of the top prospects who did not make the cut this time included Hunter Sallis (Gonzaga), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennesse), Kobe Bufkin (Michigan), Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State), Jahvon Quinerly (Albama), Adam Flagler (Baylor), Jaylin Williams (Auburn), Matthieu Gauzin (Le Mans), Isaiah Wong (Miami), Marcus Williams (Texas A&M), and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).
Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report
2021 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Final rankings of the Top 100 prospects
With just over a week left until the 2021 NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, it’s officially the most wonderful time of the year!
With just over a week left until the 2021 NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, it’s officially the most wonderful time of the year!
That means that after a slew of surprising early entry withdrawals impacted the worlds of both college and international basketball, the next generation of NBA talent is getting closer to entering the league. As players finalize their place on big boards in front offices, I wanted to offer my opinion on how I think those rankings should look.
Note that our list is certainly going to look different from the lists at ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report and other publications. Player evaluation is an inexact science. Part of the process is being willing to admit when you were wrong about a player.
But avoiding group-think and ending higher than consensus on a player is how an NBA team ends up selecting them in the draft. With that in mind, here is who I would target if I were running a front office.
Howard center Makur Maker ‘comfortable’ in any role on the floor
The 6-foot-11 center played in two games last season, averaging 11.5 points, six rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot.
Howard University center Makur Maker this week said that he is comfortable playing in any role at the next level, and can contribute in a variety of different ways.
Maker, who became the highest-ranked player to commit to a historically Black college or university, declared for the draft in May and opted to keep his name in past the early-entry deadline on July 7. He initially declared without signing an agent.
The 6-foot-11 native of Sudan played in two games with Howard last season, averaging 11.5 points, six rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot. The Bison played five games prior to shutting down their season due to issues related to the coronavirus.
Despite a small sample size, Maker believes he is a very versatile player.
“I take pride in my skill,” Maker said on Monday after working out with the Denver Nuggets. “I do my ball-handling, shooting and passing every day. I think I’m very versatile. I’m comfortable wherever Coach puts me on the floor. I can defend the pick and roll, contain the guards, hit the open 3 and just have fun while playing basketball. I just go out there and hoop.”
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Maker is considered to be an above-average playmaker for his size given his ability to handle the ball and get out in transition. He is just trying to showcase his overall game to teams during the pre-draft process after playing just two games last season.
In addition to the Nuggets, Maker has also worked out with the Charlotte Hornets and Houston Rockets, and reportedly has one scheduled next week with the Dallas Mavericks. He also participated in the combine last month, measuring in with nearly a 7-foot-2 wingspan.
The NBA draft is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 29.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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Did he stay or did he go? Tracking the biggest NBA draft decisions
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.
Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.
For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.
Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.
Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.
Did he stay or did he go? Tracking the biggest NBA draft decisions
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.
Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.
For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.
Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.
Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.
Did he stay or did he go? Tracking the biggest NBA draft decisions
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.
Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.
For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.
Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.
Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.