Aday Mara’s arrival could change the way Chet Holmgren is used on the floor, and not necessarily in a way that helps Holmgren’s best defensive trait.
Holmgren already does a lot for Oklahoma City, but his biggest calling card is clear: he blocks shots at an elite level. Last season, he finished third in the league in total blocks with 131, and that production came largely from how often he has operated around the paint on defense.
That’s where Mara may complicate things. The rookie doesn’t bring the kind of lateral quickness or agility needed to spend consistent time chasing players on the perimeter or in the mid-range. Like he was in his Michigan Wolverines days, he’s expected to live inside on the defensive end.
That kind of presence can be intimidating for opposing offenses. A 7-foot-3, 250-pound body parked in the middle should make drivers think twice. But it could also push Holmgren farther from the rim, and that would naturally cut into his chances to rack up blocks.
Even if Holmgren still looks like an elite defender no matter where he’s stationed, lineups that include both him and Mara may reduce his shot-swatting volume simply because he won’t be near the basket as often.
There is another side to that, though. If Holmgren spends less energy constantly protecting the rim, he could have more to give on offense.
That’s an area he’s been working on this summer. He’s been seen running drills with players like Kevin Durant, trying to sharpen his scoring package and build more confidence with the ball.
The need for that improvement showed up in Oklahoma City’s playoff run. Holmgren’s scoring dropped from 17.1 points per game in the regular season to 14.9 in the postseason. It got even rougher against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, when he averaged just 10.7 points per game and then finished Game 7 with four points on two shot attempts in the loss that ended the Thunder’s run.
Now Holmgren is clearly trying to move past that stretch and arrive at the 2026-27 campaign with more offensive answers. If that comes together, it could give the Thunder another major weapon as they chase their second championship in three seasons.
In Other News...
Thunder Just Created A Frontcourt Problem Fans Wont Love
The Thunder added two first-round picks to a frontcourt that was already crowded, and that is usually a good problem until the minutes start getting mapped out. With Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Chet Holmgren already established, there is only so much room for young big men to crack the rotation, even for prospects the organization clearly wanted to bring along.
Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz now enter a situation where development and immediate opportunity do not line up neatly. One of them is going to have a tougher path to steady playing time, and by the end of the season the coaching staff and front office could be forced into a decision they would rather avoid if both rookies deserve more runway than the rotation can offer. [Read more 🡒]
Shai May Be Chasing His Most Dangerous Version Yet
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already put himself in rare air as one of the leagues most efficient and difficult scorers, but the next layer of his game could be the one that makes him even tougher to handle. He has come close to the 50-40-90 benchmark over a full season, and the way he continues to expand his offense has only added to the feeling that there is still another gear available for Oklahoma Citys centerpiece.
Part of that growth has come away from the Thunder, where he spent time sharpening the details of his off-ball offense with Team Canada. For a player who already bends defenses as much as anyone, becoming more effective without the ball could make his scoring even cleaner and more sustainable, and it is the kind of development that keeps the door open to one day joining the 50-40-90 club. [Read more 🡒]
Cason Wallace Just Became A Much Tougher Thunder Contract Call
Amen Thompsons new five-year deal in Houston added another layer to the Thunders coming payroll puzzle, because Cason Wallace now has a fresh market reference sitting right next door in the same conference. Wallace has carved out a similar kind of value for Oklahoma City with his two-way impact, and that makes his contract situation one of the more interesting items on a front office already juggling future spending.
The timing only sharpens the issue for the Thunder, who are already looking at a heavy payroll picture in the years ahead and have to keep balancing present contention with long-term flexibility. Wallace can become eligible for a bigger payday through an extension or, later on, through free agency, and even before any of that gets truly urgent, his next contractual step is going to force Oklahoma City to make a difficult call about how much premium it wants to pay to keep its young core intact. [Read more 🡒]