Can Aday Mara Continue His Preseason Dominance?

Can the Thunder’s standout rookie continue his stellar play?

The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t had the best start to the preseason, as the squad is 0-2 with losses to both the Pelicans and Bucks. These losses aren’t the end of the world, as the organization has been more focused on giving younger players minutes than on using its best players to win games. 

One of these players, however, has shown out quite a bit and seems to be taking the preseason by storm. Aday Mara has been a force for Oklahoma City over the first two games, putting on two spectacular performances. 

In the squad’s first game against New Orleans, Mara had 12 points on 100% shooting and nine rebounds to add to his resume. This kind of stat line, even for one game, is more than impressive, but Mara didn’t just stop at one game. 

In the team’s second matchup against the Bucks, Mara went even bigger. The rookie center led the team in scoring, racking up 22 points, while also grabbing six boards in the process. Mara once again did not miss a shot as he made all 10 of his attempts from the floor. The young big’s play has been truly phenomenal for OKC up to this point, but the question is, will it continue?

Of course, Mara won’t go without missing a shot forever, but the majority of the rookie’s game could stay the same. Mara has shown tremendous growth in his game since even Summer League, as the big man seems much more comfortable with his post moves and has seemed to get in better shape, as he has been seen running the floor. 

While it would be nice to say Mara will have no problem, the rookie has yet to see the best of the best. While both the Pelicans and Bucks played their starters, neither team is projected to make a deep run this year. This first test likely won’t come until opening night against the San Antonio Spurs. 

If Mara sees valuable minutes, this will be his first test of his career and will showcase how the big man reacts when playing against the best in the league. So far, Mara is set up with a great foundation and has shown to be only a positive factor in OKC’s game plan. The Thunder hope the big man can keep this up, and will be looking to him to be a big impact off the bench when the regular season rolls around.