The Oklahoma City Thunder keep finding ways to survive the injury pileup, and Saturday night offered another reminder of why. Even with Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace likely done for the year and Chet Holmgren sidelined for a couple of months, Oklahoma City rolled past the Washington Wizards 114-75.
That kind of cushion gave the Thunder room to lean into something they may need more often: Aday Mara on the offensive end.
The 7-foot-3 rookie made just the second start of his NBA career and turned it into one of the more encouraging nights of his young season. Playing next to Isaiah Hartenstein, Mara finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. He went 8-of-10 from the field, hit his only three-point attempt, and was 1-of-2 at the line.
That scoring punch mattered. Mara posted the third-most points on the team behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jared McCain, and it came in a game where the Thunder needed someone beyond SGA to help carry the load. Gilgeous-Alexander is going to produce elite offense every night no matter what, but with so many key pieces missing, Oklahoma City needs more than the usual supporting cast to step forward.
Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain can help, but Mara gives the Thunder something different. He’s still a rookie, but he’s been showing he can handle a bigger offensive role. His size alone creates problems, and on Saturday he backed that up with real production.
Washington may be better than it has been in recent years, but the Thunder still controlled the game from start to finish. And for Oklahoma City, the bigger takeaway may have been less about the final score and more about the possibility of what Mara can become in this offense.
Depending on a rookie for consistent scoring is never the ideal answer. But if the Thunder are searching for ways to patch the gap in scoring and offensive creation behind Gilgeous-Alexander, Mara looks like a strong candidate to keep getting those chances.
In Other News...
Nikola Topic Just Reached An Important Step In His Thunder Return
Nikola Topic has reached a meaningful checkpoint in his recovery, with the Thunder assigning the young guard to their G League affiliate as he works his way back from back surgery. It is the latest step in a stop-and-start beginning to his NBA career for the No. 12 pick in the 2024 draft, whose development has been slowed by a string of injuries and illnesses since he entered the league.
For Oklahoma City, the move is less about the short-term box score than the long view, giving Topic a chance to get back on the floor in a controlled setting and start rebuilding momentum. He has already spent the entire regular season sidelined, and now the next question is how quickly he can turn this assignment into real game action again. [Read more 🡒]
Jared McCain Is Giving The Thunder Exactly What Shai Needed
Jared McCain gave Oklahoma City the kind of early lift that can make a lopsided game feel settled before it really starts. In the Thunders 124-97 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Cup West Group B stage, McCain finished with 21 points, five rebounds, four steals and a block, and his first-quarter burst helped set the tone for a night when the ball kept moving and the pressure kept coming from both ends.
What stood out afterward was how naturally McCain fit into the Thunders team-first rhythm, especially with the offense spreading the load around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. McCain pointed to the cohesion on both sides of the floor, and it was easy to see why this version of Oklahoma City can make life easier on its star while still forcing opponents to deal with waves of different threats. [Read more 🡒]
Kenrich Williams Has Become Crucial To OKC's Fast Start
Kenrich Williams has quietly turned into one of the most important pieces of Oklahoma Citys fast start, stepping into a regular starting role and giving the Thunder a little of everything while the lineup has been in flux. His value has shown up on both ends, where he has helped steady the group with defense, timely offense and the kind of veteran poise that can keep a young team from getting rattled.
What has made the fit especially useful is the way Williams has blended into the group without needing the ball to dominate. He has been able to slide between multiple spots and has developed strong chemistry with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which has made his transition into the starting five look natural rather than forced, even as Oklahoma City continues to navigate injuries and shuffle pieces around him. [Read more 🡒]