Subpar NBA Summer League Offense From Aday Mara Should Not Bring Concern

The NBA Summer League is seen as a proving ground for potential NBA contributors and stars. The biggest prospects are expected to immediately stand out as the brightest stars and roles are immediately meant to flow as they are seasoned veterans.

Sometimes, things start slowly, especially with players of certain skill sets who may not mesh with the style of play that NBA Summer League offenses typically run. The Oklahoma City Thunder's first-round big man, Aday Mara, fits that genre, so early struggles or subpar performances on the offensive end should not bring any worry to supporters.

Mara scored 10 points in each of his appearances in the Salt Lake City Summer League, averaging 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks per game in SLC action, but started slow in his Las Vegas debut.

In the team's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, Mara scored just two points in 25 minutes of action, shooting the ball just three times and converting on none of them. The Michigan product struggled to find a consistent rhythm inside the offense during the game, but also failed to show constant aggression despite his long frame.

Scoring aggression will come with time and comfort on the NBA floor for Mara, but his pass-first mindset has created a turnover issue with an offensively weak Thunder Summer League roster; he turned the ball over three times to just one assist in the game, raising his NBA Summer League turnover total to 11 in three games, with six total assists. He often tries to thread the needle into heavily contested areas to targets who are not as used to receiving the ball in tough spots as other teammates of his, or future teammates, would have been.

The summer experience is meant as a run of trial and error, getting young players adjusted to what is to come, despite playing with a weak roster around them. OKC's rookies are getting the full test before joining a championship contender this fall.

"It was different. I think the physicality, you can feel that, but I think it's going to be a process of just getting used to," Mara said after the team's first game against the Memphis Grizzlies. "For me, it was my first game since the (national) championship game, so it's going to take a little bit to adjust. But it was great."

Despite a rough showing to open out the team's Vegas slate, there's no need to worry about subpar offensive performances from Mara this early on.

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