Beat writers praised Aday Mara's flawless shooting and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's efficient return in the preseason loss to Milwaukee. Three separate takes on Bennett Stirtz's expanded role did not mention the rough plus-minus that came with his scoring line.
Mara's Perfect Shooting Night
Thunderous Intentions (Mark Nilon) wrote that Aday Mara carries a skill that is not so obvious, and Daily Thunder's scoreboard recap flagged him as perfect in the loss to the Bucks. The box score backs both: Mara went 10-for-10 from the field for 22 points and six rebounds, finishing a plus-17 in 25 minutes, the best mark on either roster in the game. The only miss came at the line, where he made two of three free throws. Nilon's earlier piece argued Summer League never showed this specific version of Mara; Saturday's line is the first evidence for that claim this fall.
Gilgeous-Alexander's Efficient Return
Thunderous Intentions (Zane Gelphman) called Gilgeous-Alexander the clear winner of the preseason opener, and colleague Mark Nilon separately suggested he may have already found a way around the league's push-off crackdown. Against Milwaukee, Gilgeous-Alexander needed only 18 minutes to score 17 points on 5-for-5 shooting with three made 3-pointers and no turnovers, a plus-9 mark that supports both reports. The next test comes in five days, when Oklahoma City visits Atlanta on October 12.
Stirtz's Minutes Draw Split Reviews
Nilon described Oklahoma City pushing Bennett Stirtz out of his comfort zone; G.C. Bellchamber called him a hidden rotational weapon; Zane Gelphman framed the move as a gamble the team would get instant feedback on, and Daily Thunder's recap credited Stirtz with impressing two nights earlier in the loss to the Pelicans, where he scored 13 points. The scoring backs the optimism: Stirtz had 20 points off the bench against the Bucks on 6-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-7 from three. The plus-minus does not: he finished at minus-20 in 22 minutes, the worst mark either team posted in the game.
Did Aday Mara shoot a perfect game against the Bucks?
Mara made all 10 of his field-goal attempts for 22 points, though he was 2-for-3 from the free-throw line, finishing plus-17 in Oklahoma City's preseason loss to Milwaukee.
What are beat writers saying about Bennett Stirtz's role this preseason?
Multiple outlets described Oklahoma City pushing Stirtz into a bigger role, and he has scored in double figures in both preseason games, though he finished minus-20 against the Bucks.
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