Bucks’ Thon Maker among rookies making postseason

Because the rest of his class was so weak, Embiid will probably get some first place Rookie of the Year votes, having played less than 800 minutes.

That’s an average of 29.8 minutes per game, more than rookies averaged in the first round in six of the previous seven years.

And this year, four rookies have started the first two games of these playoffs.

Even last year, when rookies averaged more than 35 minutes per game, none started each of the first two games of the first round.

And according to Bucks coach Jason Kidd, the team decided to start Maker because it didn’t yet have that D-League team to give the rookie, taken with the 10th pick in last year’s Draft, playing time.

Maker played less than 16 minutes in 22 of the final 31 games he started.

Khris Middleton’s return from a hamstring injury came around the same time Maker became the starting center.

And when Middleton was moved into the starting lineup for good on March 3, the Bucks took off, winning 16 of their next 22 games, allowing just 96.3 points per 100 possessions in 224 minutes with the four permanent starters Middleton, Maker, Antetokounmpo and Tony Snell on the floor together.

ET, NBA TV), another opportunity for Maker to make an impact and make us reevaluate the quality of this rookie class.

But they are, Maker is in the starting lineup for good, and more fourth-quarter minutes could be coming.