Giving it some thoughts, I think Maokai's saplings introduce an odd form of gameplay for a tank.

So we all know that tanks (and their bully cousins, juggernauts) are all big attention hogs right? We go into the crowd of our adoring fans, sign autographs as thrust pens to us for more autographs (such is the life of a star). But Maokai is odd, instead of enjoying the fame he hides and sends his entourage to get noticed, or runs back to them.

Ok, poor allegory aside, Maokai's saplings encourage him to run into brush for his saplings to jump out and hurt people. As a tank this feels rather odd since you want people to focus you and stay in the fight against them. But Maokai doesn't want to stay in the fight if he wants to use his saplings to full effect. He'd much rather disengage and get you to chase him into the forest (because we're all stupid for some reason) so his saplings can get the most out of it.

Is it unique? I guess when you consider tank playstyles. Does it fit thematically? Only in a sense that Maokai is using the forest to empower him. Does it make sense for a tank? No, and it only empowers his AP builds more as some sort of trickster forest spirit instead of a angry treant that will beat you to death his his tree trunk arms.

Idk how you could change this, hell idk if you should. Just wanted to share some thoughts.