The Thunder may already be testing the Spurs’ depth chart in a very real way, and Aday Mara is the reason why.
Through his first two preseason games, the rookie center has been a force. He has 34 points and hasn’t missed a shot yet, going 15-for-15 from the floor while using his size and length to work in the paint. That kind of early production matters even more because Mara is set to play behind two other seven-footers this season.
For San Antonio, that makes the offseason emphasis on interior depth look even smarter. If Oklahoma City can keep getting real value from its backup center, then Mitch Johnson’s group needs answers of its own from Luke Kornet, Tarris Reed Jr., and Jayden Quaintance.
Victor Wembanyama already showed last season what he can do against the Thunder. He led his team past them in the Western Conference Finals and outplayed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren with his two-way dominance.
But Oklahoma City added more size this summer, and Mara is part of that push. With him, Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder can protect the rim and control the glass at a high level. That leaves Wembanyama needing plenty of help from the Spurs’ other bigs, because he can’t take on that front line by himself.
That support has to show up even when the starters sit. When Mara enters the game, Kornet, Reed, or Quaintance need to make things uncomfortable for him by winning the physical battles, cleaning the glass, and holding their own at both ends.
San Antonio can’t afford the kind of interior problem it ran into in the playoffs, when life without Wembanyama got so difficult that Mitch Johnson had to lean on him for too many minutes. Against this Thunder group, that approach won’t hold. The Spurs need at least one of their new backup centers to give them real minutes.
There’s also a specific name to watch here: Tarris Reed Jr. He already has a matchup with Mara on his résumé, from this year’s NCAA Championship game. Reed’s team didn’t win that night, but he beat Mara individually, winning the scoring and rebounding battle and grabbing 14 boards.
That gives Johnson a built-in option when these teams meet. Reed has the size to bother Mara and can make his work inside a lot tougher, while Quaintance should be able to bring a similar presence once he’s healthy.
The first meeting between the Spurs and Thunder is only a few weeks away, and it should tell us plenty about San Antonio’s size. Mara has already made his case that he can handle the challenge. Now the Spurs have to show they’re ready for it.
In Other News...
Spurs Bench Could Decide How Far This Playoff Push Goes
The Spurs have spent the early part of this season trying to make their bench look less like a gap to survive and more like an advantage to exploit. With Tobias Harris and Tarris Reed Jr. added to the mix, and familiar pieces like Keldon Johnson and Luke Kornet back in the fold, San Antonio has clearly tried to deepen the rotation around Victor Wembanyama. For a team with bigger ambitions, the minutes when Wembanyama sits have become a central measuring stick.
Dylan Harper is part of that equation, too, with the Spurs expecting him to shoulder a much larger offensive load as the second unit settles in. How quickly that group comes together may go a long way toward determining how far this playoff push can travel, because San Antonio does not need its bench to be perfect. It just needs the reserves to hold the line often enough, and maybe even tilt a few games, when the stars are off the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Are Finally Testing A Lineup That Could Define This Season
Mitch Johnson is using the preseason to take a first real look at a guard-heavy look that could shape the Spurs season, naming Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and DeAaron Fox as starters for an upcoming exhibition. Harper showed enough promise last season to make this feel like more than a routine early-October experiment, and San Antonio clearly wants to see how his game fits alongside two established guards who can handle the ball, push pace and create stress for defenses.
The focus now is less on results than on fit. The Spurs want to sort out spacing, ball movement and defensive balance with this trio on the floor, using these preseason minutes to build chemistry and learn how much they can ask of the combination. It is the kind of lineup question that can linger well beyond the exhibition schedule, because the answer could help define how San Antonio structures its backcourt rotation when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
P.J. Washington Is Already Shaping A Mavericks Rookie Behind The Scenes
The Spurs got an early look at Dylan Harper in Fridays preseason opener, even if the lineup script changed before tipoff. Mitch Johnson had planned to start Harper in place of Julian Champagnie, but the personnel shuffle opened the door for Champagnie to keep the spot while Harper still made a strong first impression, giving San Antonio another reminder of why his arrival has become such a focal point for the fall.
Harpers debut fit neatly into a broader camp theme around the Spurs: the young core is being asked to grow fast, and the veterans are being asked to help steer it. Johnson and several players have already pointed to Devin Vassells progress as a leader, while across the division, Dallas has shown how much behind-the-scenes teaching matters, with P.J. Washington already working with rookie Morez Johnson Jr. on the Mavericks side of things. [Read more 🡒]