Aday Mara, a giant without mercy: leaves James Harden portrayed and knocks down Mario Hezonja

Aday Mara He collects badges and posters with astonishing ease, as if the NBA were a child’s game, like that great little joker he was growing up in the Jota neighborhood of Zaragoza, according to those who know him well. In 2018, when he was still 12 years old, James Harden won the MVP of the NBA. Little did that boy imagine that he already towered over his teachers by two heads but that he wanted to be a soccer goalkeeper like Iker Casillas, who years later would be breaking Harden’s hips. Listing dunks and blocks in the NBA.

Mara, 21 years old and 2.21, is still getting to know the best league in the world – just 7 games – but she is already doing so that the NBA knows who she is. The interior of Zaragoza passed the test on the Cleveland Cavaliers court Mario Hezonja with note, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder win (112-117) and with a performance that bordered on outstanding in what and how, posting numbers of 10 points, 9 rebounds and 1 block with a 5/7 in field goals in 20 minutes. Impactful on both sides of the court, the Spanish unicorn finished with a plus-minus on the court of +8.

In another of his ‘insolent’ greetings to stars to make himself known, Aday scored his first basket with two consecutive fakes to Evan Mobley and James Harden, knocking down a Defender of the Year and an MVP almost like bowling pins on the other side of the court nails the block on a star, this time Jarrett Allen. And Allen returned it, but when it comes to personal fights, it is difficult to find one from which Aday, stubborn as a good hand, has lost out.

And Mario Hezonja, an old ‘dog’, did some to Mara with a floating shot and forcing a foul, but the former Barça and real Madrid He resigned himself to falling to the Aragonese despite his 12 points and 8 rebounds, earning the Cavs to guarantee him in two weeks the contract that is not yet guaranteed. The ACB MVP did a decent defensive job on NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, however, unable to prevent the Canadian’s 43 points from forging a balmy victory for OKC after two consecutive losses.

A nice tribute to Russell Westbrook the day the Thunder announced that they were retiring their number. We must call on Russ’ fierce spirit more than ever in these difficult times that Oklahoma is experiencing and that Aday has had to live through.

The slender boy from La Jota is having to learn in leaps and bounds, growing in the adversity that is being inflicted on the 2025 champion. Without Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace in the long term but also the bigar of 2.16 Chet Holmgren -out for at least 10 weeks-, Mara has become essential for Oklahoma as Isaiah Hartenstein’s backup. With Thomas Sorber also out, the Spanish international is the only pure center left healthy to give the German a rest.

The Thunder usually play with the big pair Hartenstein – Holmgren as starters, but for now they are choosing to put Jaylin Williams of ‘4’ next to the German and have Aday come off the bench.

After a discreet game against the Houston Rockets of Kevin Durant Beyond his good numbers -7 points and 9 rebounds then-, Mara was much more solid in attack and defense, providing alternatives in the former and stability in the latter.

The most striking thing is how Aday has connected right off the bat with a player of Gilgeous-Alexander’s caliber, understanding the pick and roll almost with his eyes closed, Mara mastering it in details such as changing the angle of the block to open SGA’s way to the rim. But the Canadian is not selfish and when he can he finds Aday in the sequel.

Of course, Mara has to be more alert on the short roll when teams send the star 2×1, be able to read earlier and make quicker decisions, just as he has to be more alert on the rebound. The center recognizes that this is an aspect to improve and last night Jarrett Allen He ate the toast in positioning due to the rebound on more than one occasion.

But the good thing is that Aday is learning fast. Especially in defense, where the most skeptical ventured a complicated adaptation to the NBA due to the greater spaces than those that have to be defended in the NCAA and the greatest rhythm. But Mara is being an intimidating and certainly malleable rim protector, capable of interpreting when not to stay so deep in his drop, be more aggressive in the coverage of the pick and roll and execute it more and more.

OKC’s is the best defense of the modern NBA and it is like a millimeter production chain. The help jumps like a domino effect but it depends on the context. Aday will not always be able to rely on the help of the strong side and will have to leave the cave more in the face of stars that devour any inch of land like Kevin Durant and James Harden. After stopping KD in a couple of actions on Saturday, Mara was able to contain Barba in his role, whom he even forced to pass the ball after sticking his foot out in a curious play.

The 37-year-old star could only score 14 points on 5/10 shooting, while Donovan Mitchell was left with 17. Anyone who steps up to the rim already has a lot of respect for Aday Mara, the giant that grows by spurts between talent, need and adversity.