Top pick Aday Mara flashed elite passing and rim protection in his debut, while Bennett Stirtz and Brooks Barnhizer provided silver linings despite a lopsided loss.
The Oklahoma City Thunder may have opened Summer League with a 111-74 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, but there were plenty of things that gave fans plenty to be excited about with the biggest being Aday Mara.
The 12th overall pick made his unofficial Thunder debut, finishing with 10 points, four assists, three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. While those numbers are solid, they don’t fully capture what stood out most about his performance. Mara showed exactly why Oklahoma City was willing to invest in his long term potential.
At 7’3”, Mara has a skill set that isn’t easy to find. His passing ability immediately jumped off the screen, as he consistently made smart reads and found open teammates from the high post and out of the pick-and-roll.
For a player his size, his feel for the game is impressive, and it didn’t take long to see why the Thunder believe he can become much more than a traditional center.
On the defensive end, Mara flashed the rim protection that made him one of the most intriguing big men in this year’s draft. He finished with two blocks, altered several other shots and used his length to make life difficult for Memphis around the basket.
Like most young big men, though, there were also reminders that development takes time. Mara looked like he ran out of gas at times, and he wasn’t able to make the impact on the glass that many fans were hoping to see.
That’s completely normal for a rookie making his Summer League debut, especially one adjusting to a faster and more physical style of play. Those are areas the Thunder will continue to work on as his career progresses.
Even in a one sided loss, there were other encouraging performances for Oklahoma City.
Bennett Stirtz continued to show why so many people inside the organization are excited about his future. He finished with 10 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals while playing with poise throughout the game. Stirtz never looked overwhelmed, made smart decisions with the basketball and was active defensively from start to finish.
Brooks Barnhizer brought his usual energy, leading the Thunder with 13 points. He continued to attack offensively regardless of the score and competed on every possession, while Payton Sandfort added 13 points of his own and knocked down shots when Oklahoma City desperately needed offense.
Newly signed two-way guard Otega Oweh also had his moments. Although he didn’t completely fill up the stat sheet, he flashed the athleticism and downhill scoring ability that made him an intriguing addition. His physical style of play fits the identity the Thunder have built, and he’ll have more opportunities to show what he can do as Summer League continues.
The final score wasn’t what Oklahoma City wanted, but that’s rarely the biggest takeaway in July. Summer League is about evaluating talent, building confidence and helping young players adjust to the NBA game.
If Mara’s debut was any indication, Thunder fans got an early glimpse of why the organization is so high on him. There is still plenty of work ahead, but the combination of his passing, rim protection and overall basketball IQ made for an encouraging first impression.
As he gets more comfortable and continues to develop physically, this game could be remembered as the first step in what the Thunder hope is a very promising career.
