Aday Mara, the Thunder’s 7-foot-3 center, is absolutely tearing it up in preseason, dropping an eye-popping 34 points on a perfect 15-of-15 shooting across two games. This isn’t the same dude we saw just a few months ago, and frankly, it’s gotta have the league taking notes. After a sluggish 2026 Summer League that raised some serious red flags about his conditioning and stamina, the 21-year-old has flipped the script, and a new face on the Thunder’s staff deserves a ton of credit.
From Summer League Struggles to Preseason Powerhouse
Let’s rewind a bit. Mara was a big question mark after Summer League. His conditioning looked rough, and his stamina wasn’t there. We’re talking about a 7-foot-3 giant who was getting gassed. But the Thunder made a smart move over the summer, bringing in Maral Javadifar as their director of athletic performance. She’s got a stacked resume, spending seven years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a strength and conditioning coach, and she played college basketball herself. Her first mission? Fly overseas and get to work with Mara in his home country of Spain. They put in the brutal work, even going full speed on Spain’s beautiful beaches. That’s the kind of dedication that makes a real difference.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Aday Mara Is on Fire
The results speak for themselves, and they are LOUD. In just two preseason starts, Mara hasn’t just improved, he’s dominated. Those 34 points on perfect 15-of-15 shooting, plus 15 rebounds, are incredible, especially when you consider he’s outplayed a group of respected frontcourt players like Zion Williamson, Derik Queen, Myles Turner, and Kel’el Ware. He even pulled it off on a traveling back-to-back. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault couldn’t praise Javadifar enough, calling her “really talented” with a “great confidence, a great approach. Professionalism, very consistent.” He knows the value of consistent people behind the scenes, saying they help players “get back to the center” and “put them in the best position to perform.” Mara and the Thunder both know he needs better in-game speed to handle the grueling NBA schedule, and right now, there are zero signs of him slowing down. He’s running the floor, getting easy transition dunks, and looking like a completely different player.
It’s still super early, but the returns on Mara are beyond promising. You gotta credit the man himself for putting in the work, but there’s no doubt that Javadifar’s arrival and her focus on his conditioning in just the last four months have been a game-changer. What will he do next? The regular season is right around the corner, and it’s gonna be awesome to see if this incredible preseason run is just the beginning for the big man.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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