Ellenson Has A Nowitzki Look To His Game

Another workout, another impressive one for Henry Ellenson.

Ellenson, the former Marquette University star, worked out for Milwaukee Bucks officials Tuesday and acquitted himself well. After the individual workout, Billy McKinney, the Bucks’ director of scouting, fairly gushed about the 6-foot-11 Ellenson.

McKinney was especially complimentary of Ellenson’s shooting. Ellenson shot 29 percent from 3-point for Marquette last season, but McKinney said Ellenson showed he can shoot effectively with deep range.

“Shooting is one of those skills that can, I believe, most easily get better with a lot of hard work,’’ McKinney said. “He has the mechanics and the foundation to become a better shooter and great shooter.

“He was tired; the coaches put him a through a series of very difficult drills. He was winded. And usually, this is the part of the workout where you’re going to throw your insides out because you’re so tired. And yet, he shot the ball better when he was tired, which is a terrific sign of his concentration, focus and conditioning.

“He shoots the lights out of the ball, as everybody knows. He had a really good workout shooting the ball today. Henry really shot the ball well today.’’

Ellenson, 19, is generally considered a top 10 draft choice. The Bucks have the 10^th pick. However, Ellenson is definitely on the radar of several teams picking in front of the Bucks and the likelihood of Ellenson slipping to them is slim.

Ellenson, who had a sensational freshman season at Marquette University (17 points, 9.7 boards), previously auditioned with the Los Angeles Lakers, who have the second pick, Phoenix, which has the fourth pick, Minnesota, which has the fifth pick, and Denver, which has the seventh pick.

Several NBA scouts, who had seen Ellenson play at Marquette and elsewhere, have favorably compared Ellenson to a younger Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks hall of fame in-waiting forward. McKinney made a similar comparison.

“I would say a player that comes to mind, and I believe he’s even said it himself, is Dirk Nowitzki with him having that kind of size and that ability to shoot the basketball,’’ McKinney said. “Dirk got better and better and he’s going to be a Hall of famer some day.’’

Quick hits

• Thon Maker, an extremely raw but intriguing 19-year-old from Sudan, will work out for the Bucks today. Most NBA officials project the 7-foot-1 Maker to be selected in the 16-to-25 range. Maker’s stock rose after a recent workout in New York where he shot the ball exceptionally well on the perimeter.
• Others who are expected to work out today in Milwaukee are Connecticut guard Daniel Hamilton, Middle State Tennessee forward Darnell Harris, North Carolina forward Brice Johnson, Louisville forward Chinanu Onuaku and Indiana forward Troy Williams.
• Caris LeVert, the former University of Michigan standout guard who has been plagued by injuries, is expected to meet with Bucks officials this week. LeVert is one of the draft’s wild-cards. He’s all over the mock draft boards, with some teams predicting he’ll be taken around 20 while others contend he’ll be a late-first rounder.
• Kris Middleton was at the Bucks’ practice facility in St. Francis working out.
• Ellenson spent some time while in Milwaukee with his older brother Wally. Wally, who is 6-7, was a reserve for the Golden Eagles last season and is expected to graduate later this summer. He wants to continue playing basketball either in Europe or in the NBA D-League.