The Oklahoma City Thunder opened their account in preseason on Tuesday with a contest against the New Orleans Pelicans. For this contest, OKC held out most of their key players, including their big three in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, which opened up opportunities for their other guys to get some burn.

One player who didn't just suit up for the Thunder on Tuesday, but also impressed during his time on the court, was rookie Aday Mara, the 12th overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft. Mara, in just 18 minutes of play, recorded a near double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, and he was perfect both from the field and from the line (5-5 and 2-2, respectively).

Mara turned some heads to the point where Thunder veteran Kenrich Williams sang his praises, with Williams saying after the Thunder's 116-110 loss to the Pelicans that the 7-foot-3 big man has the potential to make an All-Defensive team in his career. When the 21-year-old heard of this, he was grateful, as he believes that Williams, as a veteran entering his ninth year in the NBA, has the credibility to make that declaration.

“It’s good to hear that from him. He's an experienced player, so he's been in this league a lot of years,” Mara said after the game, per Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire.

Aday Mara on Kenrich Williams’ comments on him having All-Defensive potential: “It’s good to hear that from him. He's an experienced player, so he's been in this league a lot of years.” pic.twitter.com/cqQEDknNCi

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) October 7, 2026

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Williams knows what it's like to suit up alongside legitimate All-Defensive-caliber players such as Holmgren, Alex Caruso, and Luguentz Dort. Thus, he has the understanding of what it would take for Mara to reach that level.

It will take Mara some time to acclimate to the speed of the NBA game. He will have to learn how to hold his own when defending in space. But he has all the physical tools he needs to be a force on defense, at least in the paint, and there might not be a better environment for him to fulfill his potential than in the Thunder ecosystem.