Having recently played in Australia’s professional leagues, undrafted big Makur Maker is now playing for the Washington Wizards’ G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. The 22-year-old was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top centers in the 2020 recruiting class, according to major recruiting services.
Now playing with the Capital City Go-Go, Makur Maker is worth a look on a 10-day or two-way contract for Bob Myers and the Golden State Warriors.
Despite offers from UCLA, Kentucky and Memphis, Maker committed to Howard for his college basketball. He played just two games before suffering a groin injury, averaging 11.5 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block in 24 minutes.
According to NBA Draft.net pre-draft profile, Maker’s offensive versatility at 6’11” could certainly entice an NBA team to have a look at his game within the NBA system.
"“Maker has a good frame with solid muscle in the upper body. He runs the floor with excellent mobility and gets off the ground well. Efficient scorer. Makur averaged 11.3 points per game at 47.8% FG% over the Adidas Gauntlet in 2018 and 15.8 points per game at 65.2% FG% in 2019. Shot 53.3% FG% at the NBPA Top 100 in 2019 … Can score inside and out. Good shooting form, quick release, and connects well from outside. Maker shot 35.8% 3PT% over the Adidas Gauntlet in 2019.”"
However, his defensive issues were evident and were always going to be worrisome for NBA teams. Perhaps this, combined with an overemphasize on the perimeter, was why he was overlooked in last year’s draft.
"“Although he can shoot from the 3PT range, he sometimes settles for deep shots. He can utilize his height more around the basket and has much room to expand his post-game. I would’ve liked to see him more involved with the offense at Hillcrest rather than drifting to the perimeter and spotting up. The body frame isn’t bad, but the lower body/base is thin. He can be quicker to block shots from the help side. I would like to see him protect the paint more and secure shots at a capable rate.”"
Maker joined the Chicago Bulls for the NBA Summer League last year, before signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards for preseason. After a slow start during the G League showcase, Maker is now shooting 54.5% from both the field and from three across six regular season games. His +4.4 net rating is also showing a genuine contribution to winning in his 19.1 minutes per game.
The cousin of former NBA player Thon Maker, Makur has a similar skill set to James Wiseman and with time, could be an excellent backup for the future — all bigs take time to develop, and he is certainly no different.
Bob Myers has to convert Anthony Lamb, Ty Jerome or both soon, and converting their contracts will open a two-way slot. Could big man guru Dejan Milojevic work his magic with Maker to develop a uniquely skilled role-player?