The Thunder coach is amazed by Aday Mara: "There are no rookie centers doing things like this"

Aday Mara is taking advantage of his first big opportunity in the NBA. The Spanish center has made a strong impact in the preseason of the Oklahoma City Thunder and already has 34 points in his first two games, with a perfect 100% shooting from the field. Beyond the numbers, what truly matters is the impression he is leaving: Mara is beginning to connect with his teammates, they are starting to look for him, and Mark Daigneault is seeing signs that may open the door to the rotation of one of the major contenders for the championship.

The journey to get here makes this moment even more valuable. His first stint at UCLA was tough, with few opportunities and without the necessary confidence to develop his game. The move to Michigan transformed him: there he became a key player, finished as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and helped the Wolverines win the NCAA championship in 2026. Now, in Oklahoma City, he finds himself in a context that seems to favor his strengths.

Daigneault notices something much more important than his points

The Thunder's coach is becoming one of the most important figures in Mara's first appearance in Oklahoma City. And his words after these initial games explain why the Spaniard is generating so much excitement.

Daigneault did not just talk about his points, rebounds, or blocks. What he really wanted to highlight was the way his teammates are starting to trust him.

"It's simply interesting to see how the guys have responded to him. They have learned that he makes deep passes after grabbing the rebound, so they are running the floor to receive those passes. They are looking for him in the screens and understand the gravity that someone of his size and with his hands generates."

The coach's description continues with a particularly significant detail: "They even pass him the ball in the post. There aren't many rookie centers who, without anyone asking, are going to be given the ball inside by veteran players. That’s a sign of trust."

🇪🇸🇺🇸 Great performance by Aday Mara in his second preseason game with the Thunder! 🔥22 POINTS 🔥6 REBOUNDS 🔥2 ASSISTS 🔥10 of 10 in 2-point shooting Again a starter and 25' on the floor ▪️He has accumulated 15 of 15 in 2-point shooting in the preseason 🎥 @NBAspain https://t.co/jPwV8MEx48

— Gigantes del Basket (@GIGANTESbasket) October 8, 2026

And, according to Daigneault, the most interesting thing is that the team hasn’t had to design those situations specifically for Mara:

"None of those things are aspects we've specifically talked about regarding him, and yet the guys are recognizing it. That’s encouraging."

There lies probably the real news. Mara is not merely taking advantage of the minutes given to him by Daigneault: his teammates are starting to find him on their own initiative.

The change from UCLA to Michigan explains a lot

Mara's college journey had already taught an important lesson: the context matters a lot in his case.

At UCLA, he spent two seasons without becoming a key player. He was a starter in only nine games and did not find the continuity he needed to develop his full potential. The move to Michigan was radical. There he became a full-time starter and the defensive anchor of the Wolverines. The results were spectacular.

Mara finished the 2025-26 season with 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game, leading the Big Ten in blocks and finishing sixth in the NCAA in that statistic. Michigan ended up winning both the Big Ten tournament and the national championship. 

So he was not merely a player who found minutes. When he received responsibility and trust, he responded by becoming one of the most dominant interiors in college basketball. And now a context is appearing again that could be determinative.

Surrounded by NBA talent, Mara is finding his place

The difference compared to Michigan is enormous, because Oklahoma City does not need Mara to be a star.

The Thunder have a roster full of players capable of creating plays and taking the spotlight. This allows the Spaniard to focus on what he does best: running the floor, finishing, blocking, playing near the rim, protecting the rebound, and leveraging his enormous size.

His first game already left a spectacular calling card: 12 points without a miss, nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in just 18 minutes. 

In the second game, he took another step forward with 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one block, again not missing a single field goal: 10 of 10. With that, he reached a total of 34 points while maintaining his 100% shooting from the field.

These are preseason stats and, clearly, do not automatically project that performance to the competitive NBA. But they do show something important: Mara is making the most of every opportunity he receives.

Can he become a rotation piece?

This is now the big question.

The interior rotation of Oklahoma City is very demanding and Mara will have to compete for minutes. But the scenario that is developing is precisely what a rookie needs to carve out a path.

If his teammates continue to find him, if he maintains his efficiency, and if he proves he can defend and run the floor regularly, Daigneault will have more and more reasons to give him minutes.

And the coach himself has already left another interesting clue by assessing the Spaniard's work in recent weeks:

"His level of commitment, as I said, in the invisible spaces, is a really encouraging sign because that’s how you improve: your ability to work consistently. And he has shown, at least in a short period of time, that he is capable of that." 

That is precisely what makes these first performances something more than a good shooting streak.

Aday Mara is starting to earn a place

After a complicated period at UCLA, exploding at Michigan to become an NCAA champion, and arriving in Oklahoma City as the 12th pick in the Draft, the Spaniard now faces the most demanding stage of his career.

And so far, he is responding.

The regular season will be another story, and the level of demand will increase significantly. But if Mara maintains this combination of efficiency, defensive presence, passing ability, and trust from his teammates during the preseason, the Thunder could find themselves with a pleasant surprise: a rookie ready to have a much more important role than initially expected on a team built to win the championship.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El entrenador de los Thunder alucina con Aday Mara: "No hay pívots rookies que hagan cosas así"