One week before the start of the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are returning to normalcy. Mark Daigneault’s team used its fourth preseason game, a 114-112 win over the Pacers, to gradually reclaim its usual rotation, presenting a starting five that only lacked Chet Holmgren and pushing players like Shai and J-Dub past the 20-minute mark in an exercise that approximates what the routine will look like during the season.
That context allowed Aday Mara to experience his closest approximation to a real NBA game.
The Spanish player, who came off the bench for the first time in these preseason clashes and logged 18 minutes, continued to accumulate experience in a contest that, especially in its first half, served as a fairly realistic introduction. An ultra-fast tempo, players charging at him fearlessly to finish near the rim, physical contact, adjustments to pull him away from the paint… As a learning opportunity, it was the best he has had. And even amid difficulties, there were also positive sensations.
Aday took a while to find his groove in the game and began with a few mistakes, but as the minutes wore on he looked more engaged and began to understand the flow of the action better. His offensive role was clearly much less prominent, but he had the chance to develop his role as a shot-blocker, both in the pick & roll with Shai and by freeing shooters off the ball like McCain, while aligning himself with the team’s usual system. And on defense, even against genuine NBA talents, his value as a rim protector continued to stand out.
And it wasn’t exactly an ideal night for that. His sequences against Ivica Zubac allowed him to stay comfortably near the basket, but Indiana’s reserve bigs pulled him out of his comfort zone and exposed him to some problems. Nance punished his tendency to drop off a few possessions after stepping onto the court with a three-pointer, and in the second half Huff, knocking down three triples in six minutes, reminded him that he’s entering a league where most opponents will make you extend your reach and contest.
Yet even with those challenges, Mara’s strengths outweighed the weaknesses. The Spaniard finished with 10 points, showing his ability to finish after a screen, his eagerness to contribute in transition, and his polished post play, and filled the boxscore with 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, and a beautiful assist to Jaylen Williams on a backdoor pass. A type of connection that, given the preseason dynamics, the Thunder seem to be pursuing with notable frequency.
All of that allowed him to finish his minutes with a +12, the best on the night, and while that is obviously a circumstantial stat, it is promising regarding his ability to help his teammates even against an opponent that knew how to employ the most damaging tools. It remains to be seen how many minutes he’ll log with Holmgren and Jaylin Williams on the floor, but as the second half progressed and Daigneault decided to pull his rotation players, Mara was one of those heading toward the bench.
The message was clear: he’s in their plans. We’ll soon see how much.
