It was only a matter of time. The talent, the details, and the context were there. All it needed was the opportunity. And with the Thunder resting Chet Holmgren, Aday Mara got more minutes and put together his first big night in the NBA.
The centre recorded his first double-double in OKC’s 125-114 win over Phoenix, contributing 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 19 minutes that confirm his ability to produce whenever he gets a bit of court time. Although he didn’t face the league’s most intimidating interior rotation in Khaman Maluach and Duop Reath, he showed he can bring the efficiency Aday Mara hinted at during the preseason into the regular season.
His contribution went well beyond the numbers, as the Thunder used him from the moment he stepped on court, using his ability as a screener to create space and let his teammates get open looks. His reward came quickly: on one of those screens, Caruso stepped into the paint, waited for the ball to come in, and delivered an alley-oop that gave him his first points of the night.
It was in the second quarter, however, that his performance began to take on another dimension. His presence on defence, with the Thunder spending a lot of minutes in zone, started to be noticed, he gradually added rebounds, and his scoring column filled up in different ways. First, another continuation after a screen sent him to the 4.60 mark to earn two free throws; then a transition run allowed him to score another dunk, and finally a tip-in after a miss by Shai brought him close to double figures and closed out a strong stretch on his own account.
In fact, when he went to the bench just seconds later, the Paycom Center acknowledged his work with loud applause. The local fans were aware that they were witnessing his first standout night.
He made sure it was in the second half that he fully established himself under the basket, until another tip-in brought him to ten points, and minutes later he did the same on the boards. All the while, with him on court, OKC kept extending its lead until it closed out the game without excessive showboating but without any suffering. A win that, in the context of a team that wins games with its eyes closed, will likely be relegated to the background.
But not in the memory of a rookie who recorded what, if he keeps this up, will be just the first of many double-doubles.
