GET TO KNOW: ADAY MARA.
Aday Mara has garnered attention since committing to UCLA for the 2023-2024 season, but he put his name on the map after a strong showing at the FIBA U18 European Championships in July. Over 7 games, Mara averaged 14 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.7 blocked shots while shooting 61.3% from the field and helping his team earn a 2nd place finish.
Mara has proven that he is more than capable of producing at the professional level, too. When playing for Zaragoza in the 2022-2023 season, Mara averaged 5.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.9 in 12.2 minutes a game, which is an impressive feat for a teenager playing in the pros.
While the term ‘unicorn’ has been thrown around too casually, this young 7’3 big man possesses a rare combination of passing, scoring, and shot blocking that should have plenty of teams excited.
In a year full of strong talent at the 4 and 5 spots, Mara will strive to propel his name above the competition with a strong freshman season. Under the tutelage of Mick Cronin and alongside a talented UCLA team, a spot within the first five picks is certainly within reach.
Grading Scale:
EXTREMELY POOR, POOR, BELOW AVERAGE, AVERAGE, ABOVE AVERAGE, GOOD, GREAT, EXCELLENT, GENERATIONAL
OFFENSE.
INTERIOR SCORING: GREAT
Despite his age, Mara is extremely refined as a post scorer. At 7’3” with a 7’7” wingspan, Mara has excellent size and length that he uses to finish over opponents. Mara uses his size to establish good post position and while he is not afraid of contact, he could benefit by gaining more strength, which should help him be more impactful at the next level.
Mara is not just a big body, as his offensive game is not overly reliant on size and strength as he also has patience, advanced footwork and a plethora of post moves. He is comfortable with his back to the basket and can confidently finish over either shoulder, where he has demonstrated a soft touch using both hook shots and floaters. He's a lob-threat on fast-breaks and in the half-court while also excelling at cutting to the basket off the pick and roll.
In-Between Game: GOOD
While primarily a post-scorer currently, Mara’s range extends through the high-post. He has a solid, consistent mid-range jumper, making him a threat from the standstill and on pick and pops. During the U18 European Championships, he shot 75% from the free throw line, indicating that his soft touch around the rim can translate to outside of the paint as well.
Shooting: AVERAGE
Currently, Mara doesn’t have a strong history of shooting from beyond the arc. In 22 games for Zaragoza, Mara only took two threes. During 7 U18 European Championship games, Mara only took one three; however, when he represented Zaragoza for the 2023 Spain-U19 Championship, Mara took 13 3s over 7 games, making 30.8% of them.
In the NBA, Mara becoming a threat from beyond the arc will do wonders for his value and impact, as having a floor-stretching big with his playmaking skills is invaluable. Because of the touch he has demonstrated from mid-range and his FT%, I buy Mara’s shooting long-term and think that he will shoot a higher volume for UCLA.
Self-Creation and Ball Handling: ABOVE AVERAGE
Mara’s ability to create for himself lies primarily within the post – he’s patient, yet decisive with the ball in his hands and has a variety of fakes at his disposal that he uses to get defenders off balance. Mara is not as impactful at creating for himself from the perimeter though as he lacks explosion and a quick first step.
OFF-BALL: ABOVE AVERAGE
Mara’s basketball IQ shines without the ball in his hands. He knows where to place himself within an offense, and his gravity as a scorer and playmaker within the post helps keep opposing defenses honest.
Mara is great in the pick and roll, where he sets strong screens and follows them with decisive cuts to the basket. He has potential as a spot-up shooter as well, which helps him play a versatile role on offense.
Playmaking: Great
Mara’s playmaking is by far his most advanced skill. He not only has tremendous touch and feel for a 7’3” center, but he makes excellent reads with the ball in his hands.
Mara loves to get the defense off-balanced by drawing defenders in and then using his passing to take advantage of mismatches or to find cutters. He can make sharp passes from all levels in the mid-court, but he is also excellent at jump starting fastbreaks using outlet passes.
DEFENSE.
Interior Defense: good
Mara thrives as a shot-blocker, especially on the perimeter. He has great defensive instincts, allowing him to contest and disrupt shots without committing fouls. During the U18 European championships, Mara averaged 2.7 blocks and only 1.4 fouls in nearly 28 minutes per game. He also uses his length to make opposing players uncomfortable in the paint even when he can’t block the shot.
Mara is however limited by his lack of explosiveness. He doesn’t have impressive verticality and is not quick to get off his feet, which will cause him to struggle at times against NBA-level athletes. As seen in high-level international competitions, Mara’s shot blocking can be stymied by going at his chest and not allowing him space to set up to block the shot.
Mara does have a frame that should allow him to put on much needed muscle and strength, which will help him compensate for a lack of athletic gifts. For now, Mara will struggle guarding stronger post players.
Perimeter Defense: poor
Mara's biggest weakness is lack of mobility on the perimeter. He has poor foot speed and stiff hips, which limits his ability to change direction. As a result, there is already evidence of Mara being hunted as a mismatch by opposing guards, wings, and quicker bigs.
In the NBA, where teams often employ a stretch big, Mara might often find himself in positions where he could struggle and be taken advantage of.
Athleticism: below average
As touched on in other areas, Mara is a below average athlete. While the coordination and fluidity he has for his size is nice to see, he does not have a lot of quickness or explosion to his game and he will struggle to keep up with NBA-level athletes. He has okay leaping ability, but is not explosive by any means.