Brooklyn can use some post and defense help. Michigan big Aday Mara looks perfect for these reasons.
Sure, Cadeau grabbed the attention of NBA scouts with his shooting consistency and ability to run the Wolverines' offense. Those traits showed up Monday at the most opportune moment.
But Michigan would've never made its title run without Aday Mara down low. Which should've gotten Nets general manager Sean Marks and head coach Jordi Fernandez watching closely.
Mara will draw lots of intrigue off his impressive 7-foot-3 height alone. But time to look outside of size on why Perry, Fernandez and the Nets should look closely at him.
Mara protects the rim greatly
No one denied layups and other two-point opportunities better than Mara.
Obviously the height hands him the advantage. But Mara still showed strong eye discipline and timing on jumps to deliver blocks at a high rate throughout the season for the champs.
This next stat speaks to the impact of Mara.
Opponents only attempted 20% of their attempts under the rim against Mara per CBB analytical stats. That number shows the respect Mara commanded on the floor.
Brooklyn needs a rim protector badly. Too many teams attacked the lane and finished off with ease. Mara can change the fortunes with his presence.
But Mara also dishes out passes like a point guard inside the paint and is a 20-point threat down low.
A seven-footer who's smart with distributing the ball is more dangerous than fans think. He's just as effective in transition and known when to lob the ball.
Best game(s) that shows Mara at his best
The Saturday onslaught of Arizona is the perfect place to start when scrutinizing Mara if you're a Nets fans looking for draft prospects.
He pounded the Wildcats with 26 points and came within one rebound of a double-double. Mara also swatted two baskets against what was supposed to be a loaded 'Zona team featuring potential NBA Draft lottery picks Koa Peat and Brayden Burries.
Mara especially looked damaging in the final three games of the Big Ten Tournament. He went on to deliver 17, 16 and 14 on Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue all in that order. And all three advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Can Nets Grab Mara?
Brooklyn looks like it can use the 7-foot-3 center's help.
But they also must hope that Mara declares, as he's eligible to return to the champs. He'll garner Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award recognition if he runs it back at Ann Arbor.
Still, he improves the size in the paint and also hands Fernandez a needed post presence if he falls to Brooklyn.
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