Aday Mara impresses: OKC may have another gem
Aday Mara needed just 18 minutes to impress OKC: 12 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in his preseason debut against the New Orleans Pelicans
Summer League had raised a few doubts, but Aday Mara needed just 18 preseason minutes to start putting them to rest. The Spanish big man, selected with the No. 12 pick in the latest Draft, showed against the New Orleans Pelicans why the Oklahoma City Thunder decided to invest such a high pick in him.
Mara finished his debut with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks, playing only the first two quarters. OKC was up by 15 at halftime, and Mark Daigneault decided not to put him back on the floor, instead giving minutes to the deeper parts of the roster.
Beyond the numbers, the rookie showed a little bit of everything: presence around the rim, rim protection, rebounding and, above all, a very intriguing ability to read the game for a 7-foot-3 player.
Mara describes that quality much more simply.
I just try to find the open teammates
Aday Mara
Daigneault: “He’s made significant progress”
For Oklahoma City, the performance against New Orleans did not come out of nowhere. Mara had an inconsistent Summer League, but in the following weeks he focused mainly on his body and conditioning.
Daigneault highlighted exactly that after the game.
He worked really hard from the end of Summer League until he got back to Oklahoma City for the start of training camp. He stacked up a lot of days with his head down, working on his body and conditioning. And tonight it showed
Mark Daigneault
The Thunder coach then summed up the rookie’s progress over the past few months even more clearly.
I think he’s made significant progress from Summer League to training camp
Mark Daigneault
Selected after a season at Michigan that ended with an NCAA title alongside fellow prospects Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr., Mara joins a team that does not need to ask everything of him right away. The Thunder’s depth will allow him to develop without too much pressure, but a performance like this could start changing the pecking order.
Especially because defense could become the quickest way for him to earn minutes. Kenrich Williams has already talked about Mara’s All-Defensive Team potential, praise the rookie was happy to hear.
It’s nice to hear that from him. He’s an experienced player, he’s been in this league for many years
Aday Mara
One preseason game is not enough to know what his role will be during the season, but 12 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in 18 minutes is a pretty good way to introduce yourself.