Aday Mara shines in his debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder

Aday Mara did not take long to leave his first mark with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spanish center played his first minutes with the franchise in the NBA preseason and responded with a performance that highlighted one of his main strengths: his enormous presence near the basket. In just 18 minutes, Mara was close to achieving a double-double and finished with a virtually perfect statistical line.

The Spaniard started in the Thunder's defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans by 110-116 at the BOK Center in Tulsa. His numbers speak for themselves: 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks, in addition to not missing any of his shots. Mara made all five of his field goal attempts and also hit both of his free throw attempts.

Beyond his offensive production, his debut allowed us to see how he can use his uncommon physical attributes in the NBA. Mara stands at 2.21 meters and officially has a wingspan of 2.29, but the most striking figure is his reach of 2.97 meters, a dimension that can make him a player particularly difficult to overcome around the basket.

A very complete first impression

Mara did not limit himself to using his size to score points. The nine rebounds and three blocks also reflect his ability to impact both sides of the court. Additionally, he distributed three assists, showing that his contribution can go beyond finishing plays near the basket.

The center was the second leading scorer and the top rebounder for Oklahoma City in a game in which coach Mark Daigneault chose to distribute minutes among much of his roster. Bennett Stirtz led the Thunder with 15 points, while Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Josh Dix, and Brooks Barnhizer also reached double digits.

The context of the game is also important. Oklahoma City was without three of its main players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. This allowed other players to take on greater roles, but Mara took advantage of his opportunity with a performance that was hardly more efficient.

Mara begins to show what he can offer

The number 12 of the 2026 Draft now faces his first experience with the Thunder after making the jump to the NBA. His debut does not allow for definitive conclusions, but it does provide an interesting first snapshot of a player whose size and reach can become differential elements.

What stood out was his effectiveness. Five shots attempted and five made, along with two free throws without a miss. He also added defensive presence with three blocks and the ability to secure rebounds. All of this in just 18 minutes.

For the Pelicans, Bennedict Mathurin was the top scorer with 13 points, followed by Jeremiah Fears with 12, and Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson with 11 each. But the night in Tulsa also brought particularly interesting news for Spanish basketball: Aday Mara has already begun to showcase in the NBA the dimensions of a physique that can make a difference under the baskets.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Aday Mara se sale en su debut con Oklahoma City Thunder