Before we get into this story, remember that the NBA Summer League is what it is. It’s a place for young talent in the league to make their case for a bigger role. It’s also where rookies get to test out their first moments in the NBA.
It can come with nerves. Just because a player didn’t have a great Summer League debut, that doesn’t mean that player isn’t destined for greatness. In fact, some of the players who have fallen flat on their faces in the Summer League have gone on to do great things.
Following the conclusion of the Summer League, Ben Golliver of ESPN rattled off his favorites and least favorites.
ESPN analyst names Thunder rookie the ‘most disappointing rookie’ in the Summer League
Golliver calls Aday Mara, the Oklahoma City Thunder player out of the University of Michigan, the “most disappointing rookie” in the NBA Summer League.
“Given that summer league play is relatively unstructured and dominated by bucket-getting guards, it’s no surprise that Mara didn’t leave much of a mark during his minutes and sometimes struggled to keep up with the pace of play,” Golliver wrote.
He adds that while Mara didn’t light up the scoreboard, the good news is that he showed that he’s great at passing, which is really his specialty.
“Don’t overreact yet: Mara excelled when surrounded by NBA-caliber players at the University of Michigan, and he is set to join the league’s most talented roster in Oklahoma City,” he adds.
So, even though Mara didn’t have a breakout performance at Summer League, don’t count him out. He’s still worthy of his first-round draft position and will likely fit perfectly into the Thunder’s lineup before too long.
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