When the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2016-17 season came to a close after a valiant, but unfulfilled comeback versus the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs last April, it mirrored the team’s big picture overall.
They were a team that had assembled a competent supporting cast around superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, but didn’t have enough firepower to take down the then-underachieving Raptors, who were on the cusp of facing a crossroads in the offseason.
What no one could have expected over the course of that series was the stunning impact rookie big man Thon Maker, who displayed his defensive potential as a rim protector by shadowing the Raptors’ biggest stars in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan on the defensive end.