Three NBA games and Aday Mara has already shown something different in each one. In the first, it was efficiency with a perfect 5-of-5 from the field. In the second, scoring: 22 points without missing any of his ten field goal attempts. Against the Atlanta Hawks came the third step. The Aragonese center played 33 minutes, the heaviest workload of his short career, and filled it with everything: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks. It's his first double-double with the Oklahoma City Thunder, though it wasn't enough to prevent his team's loss (113-110).
The night also brought a less pleasant development: his first misses. After 15 consecutive makes in his first two games, Mara missed one of his five two-point attempts and the only three-pointer he tried. He made up for it from the free throw line, where he made 9 of 12, and with everything else he did without scoring. The six assists speak to a center who reads the game from the post, and the four blocks confirm that his 7-foot-6 frame also makes an impact on defense.
The context helped him get minutes. Head coach Mark Daigneault rested most of his main rotation: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso and Jared McCain did not play. With the starters on the bench, the weight of the team fell on the young players, and Mara handled it without problems. Bennett Stirtz was the Thunder's leading scorer with 26 points, followed by Brooks Barnhizer (20) and Josh Dix (16). For the Hawks, Jock Landale (17), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (16) and Zuby Ejiofor (15) stood out.
When the stars return, his minutes will be reduced. But the preseason is delivering the answer Oklahoma City was looking for when they drafted him: Mara can contribute to an NBA rotation from day one.