Aday Mara just kept getting better and better during a breakout junior season at Michigan.
By the end of it, the towering Spaniard was all over NBA teams’ radars, shot up draft boards and played his way into the first round of the NBA Draft, where he was selected with the No. 12 overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.
Mara was the third Michigan player to be taken in the lottery, along with forwards Morez Johnson Jr. (No. 9 to Dallas Mavericks) and Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11 to Golden State Warriors), marking the first time in program history that’s happened in the same draft.
“Everything that I’ve done during my life since I was a kid, going to college, playing pro in Spain, all these things that really helped me to get where I’m at,” Mara said on the ESPN broadcast. “I’m really happy that I did it.”
Mara, 21, put himself in that position with a stellar year in Ann Arbor, where he was a full-time starter after primarily playing a reserve role at UCLA the previous two seasons. He averaged a career-high 12.1 points while shooting 66.8% from the field, showcased his passing with 2.4 assists per game and became the first Wolverine to block more than 100 shots in a season en route to being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
He was also at his best on the big stage and delivered his signature performance in Michigan’s Final Four win over Arizona. Against the Wildcats, he poured in a career-high 26 points with nine rebounds.
“I would say confidence and experience, playing real minutes, made me improve a lot,” Mara said at the NBA Draft Combine in May. “I’m here because of the guys that I had around me — the coaches, the teammates, they really helped me to get to my best version.”
Dusty May credited Mara’s steady growth at Michigan to the work he put in, both individually and with the coaching staff.
“Once he committed to getting in better shape and changing ends and putting more pressure on the rim, he unlocked a different element,” May said in a recent interview on NBA TV.
Mara’s combination of size and vision made him incredibly impactful on both ends. He anchored the top-rated defense in college basketball — his 2.6 blocks per game ranked sixth in the nation — and was arguably the best passer of anyone close to his stature.
At the combine, he measured at 7-foot-3 with a 7-6 wingspan and 9-9 standing reach.
“He already has an elite ability to protect the rim. His timing is impeccable around the basket. Rarely did he jump at a shot fake. You could probably count the times on one hand that he bit on a shot fake over the course of a season playing in the top conference in college basketball,” May said.
“And then you’re getting a guy that you can run offense through; he could be a hub. I also think he’s got a jump to make with his outside perimeter shooting. He’s got great form; it comes off his hand clean. I think that’s something that the further and the longer he plays in the NBA, the better shooter he’ll be. I think there’s just a lot more to unlock, but his natural size dimensions mixed with his basketball IQ are elite.”
Even after expanding his shooting range — he shot 3-for-10 from beyond the arc after not attempting a single 3-pointer his first two years in college — Mara feels he still has more to do and prove at the next level.
On defense, it’s being able to play different ball screen coverages, switch onto guards and not be the type of center who must sub out if a team goes to a smaller lineup. On offense, the focus is to do the “winning things” and consistently make the right plays.
As he gets set to begin his NBA career, Mara believes his best is yet to come.
“Honestly, I think I can improve in so many things that I would say (I can get) a lot better. I think from now to five years, I’m going to be a completely different player,” Mara said. “I’m excited for what I have, for all the work that I have to put in … because I know that even after having this great year at Michigan, I haven’t shown everything that I’m capable. I’m excited to keep improving and keep getting better.”
jhawkins@detroitnews.com
@jamesbhawkins
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Aday Mara, Michigan big man, heads to Thunder at No. 12 in NBA Draft
Reporting by James Hawkins, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By James Hawkins, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
