Rookie Aday Mara Helps OKC Thunder to Opening Night Win Against Spurs

The NBA season has finally arrived.

Tuesday, Oct. 20, marked the start of the 2026-27 NBA season with a trio of games as Detroit defeated Boston, Phildelphia took down the Knicks and Oklahoma City knocked off San Antonio.

In the Thunder's opening night win, OKC's top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft turned in a solid performance that helped Mark Daigneault's team to a 116-104 victory.

Mara was the only rookie to log non-garbage time minutes on opening night, as Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Tarris Reed Jr. and Maliq Brown played one minute apiece for San Antonio. The Pistons, Celtics, 76ers and Knicks didn't play their rookies in the first game of the new season.

The No. 12 overall pick finished with seven points, two rebounds, an assist, a turnover and a block while shooting 3-of-4 from the field and 1-of-2 from the free throw line in 12 minutes on the court.

OKC outscored San Antonio by nine points in Mara's time on the floor.

While the rookie struggled in a few areas, including multiple plays that saw Mara get lost in drop coverage and allow open alley oops, the first-year big man also made a pair of highlight plays. With the Thunder leading by 12 late in the third quarter, Mara blocked Victor Wembanyama on a lob attempt, then ran down the court and finished an alley oop to push Oklahoma City's lead to 14 points.

Mara's 12 minutes on the floor are likely a glimpse at what his minute totals will look like throughout the 2026-27 season, as OKC has a trio of big men on the roster who will play more than the rookie.

Still, Mara has the potential to be an impact player on a team with championship aspirations, as proven by his performance on opening night.

Oklahoma City selected the 7-foot-3 big man in the lottery after Mara turned in a strong junior season at Michigan, helping the Wolverines win a national championship in 2026. The 2025-26 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 66.8% from the field in his final NCAA season.

Mara struggled in the 2026 Summer League, but bounced back with a strong performance for Spain's national team a few months later. The OKC rookie also performed well in the preseason, and appears to have the makings of an NBA rotation player, even early in his professional career.