Thunder's "Wemby stopper" plan already looks like a failed experiment

On draft night nearly a month ago, the Thunder made a curious decision with their lottery pick when they selected 7'3" Aday Mara. Fans and analysts immediately labeled the Michigan center OKC's "Wemby stopper." When asked about it, he didn't seem very confident in his ability to do that.

Well, fast forward to the Summer League, and now we know why. Deciding that Mara would be the player to stop Wembanyama was extremely premature. To be clear, I'm not saying he won't be a fine player with a lasting career in the NBA.

However, I am saying that he has next to no chance of stopping one of the most generational talents we've ever seen step onto the hardwood.

Mara's weaknesses are exactly what Wembanyama attacks

Vic is one of the most well-conditioned big men in the league, so let's start there. Mara had trouble staying on the floor for more than 25 minutes a night in his year at Michigan. He averaged 23 minutes per game. Well, the Spurs play at a high pace, and they're going to challenge the incoming rookie's ability to keep up.

That fundamental part of San Antonio's attack will be tough enough to contend with before factoring in the one-on-one aspect of this. We've seen coaches try putting tall centers on the Alien, and it never really works out.

It doesn't matter if it's Chet Holmgren or Rudy Gobert—they're at the mercy of a man who's taller yet moves quicker, handles the ball like a guard, and can pull up with range. Mara is going to have the same issue they have when defending Wemby, but it will be worse for him in those scenarios.

The 7'3" center is slow-footed. Wembanyama loves to drag his opponents out to deep waters when they're his size. He knows exactly how to attack those matchups—with speed and craft. Mara is going to find himself in foul trouble, and sometimes, he may end up spinning in circles.

He just doesn't have the lateral movement necessary to stay in front of guys. So, again, he may or may not have a solid career—you can't teach 7'3". But he doesn't stand much of a chance of stopping Wemby.

The NBA may be searching far and wide for a way to stop Victor Wembanyama, but drafting players his size hasn't proven to be an effective method. We just went through a playoff run where he demonstrated that as loudly as possible. Just ask Donovan Clingan, Gobert, Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow