AROUND the NBA:

[michaeltex]

I know it's early days, but some comments from an OKC writer are interesting...

• Mara has scored 10 points in each game, but that is about where the positivity stops. He is shooting just 47.1 percent, not elite by any means for a player measuring in at 7-foot-3.
  
• He also amassed eight turnovers in the process. What could be even more cause for concern, though, are the box scores of players he has matched up against.
  
• In the first game, third overall pick Cam Boozer scored 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. He had four assists compared to just two turnovers in 24 minutes.
  
• On Monday night, fellow rookie Zuby Ejiofor posted 19 points in 25 minutes. He also dominated the glass, out-rebounding Mara 15 to nine.
  
• In short, Mara looked unprepared for the physicality of the two bigs.
  
• Mara has arguably failed the first two defensive tests thrown his way in a Thunder uniform. Boozer is projected to be a proficient NBA player, but he is in no way on par with the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.
  
• Mara, drafted as a possible "Wemby stopper," might have an uphill battle to live up to the name, at least in the immediate future.
  
• It's still extremely early, but these first two games can serve as a reminder that Mara is not a slam-dunk pick by any means. He will have to develop into a productive member of the OKC defense, and it may take some time.
  
• Likewise, fellow first-round pick Bennett Stirtz is just 7-of-20 in his first two games. It's a healthy refresher of what truly comes with bringing in rookies with the expectation that they help the team in year one.