Thon Maker isn't playing second fiddle to anyone.
The NBA Summer League might be all about No 1 draft pick Ben Simmons and how he's looking for the Philadelphia 76ers, but Maker's athleticism is also grabbing headlines.
In two games Maker, who was taken by the Milwaukee Bucks at pick 10 in the NBA Draft, has shown himself to be worth the gamble the Bucks took on him.
The implied risks were that Maker was older than his reported 19 years and also that he took no part in team drills at the NBA Draft combine.
So far his form in the NBA Summer League has allayed the fear about whether his skills stand up, though reports about his age continue to dog the Sudanese-born Australian.
Maker led the Bucks in rebounds in their first two matches, averaging a Summer League best 15 rebounds per game.
He's also averaged 16 points per game.
Simmons has averaged 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game on comparable minutes.
And while the college criticism of Simmons was that he lacked an edge, Maker - who recorded the highest vertical leap of any player over 6'11" in NBA Draft combine history - seems to have it.
After surrendering a rebound at a critical stage of Milwaukee's 91-86 loss to the D-League select team, Maker was left seething.
"I didn't like that at all," maker told ESPN.
"I didn't like it one bit because I've been grabbing rebounds both of these games and to me they don't mean anything if I didn't get that rebound right now. So they still don't mean anything."
As for his introduction to the not quite elite level, Maker seems to be taking it all in his stride and isn't fazed at all.
"It's been like practice," Maker said.
"It's not much of a big transition.
