As the Minnesota Timberwolves attempt to make a championship leap, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder stand in their way. Without a doubt, the Wolves' biggest weakness is frontcourt depth. Yes, Rudy Gobert is still terrific, but Joan Beringer is unproven, and Trey Lyles was out of the league last year.
Coincidentally, the Spurs and Thunder both have elite frontcourts. Since the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama, I think everyone understands the challenges that he and the team present. However, the Thunder's frontcourt improved this offseason, and that should put Minnesota on notice.
OKC already had Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. That was scary enough. Now, they are adding rookie Aday Mara (whom they selected with the 12th pick) and Thomas Sorber, who missed all of last season with a knee injury but was the 15th pick in 2025.
While Sorber is still out with his injury, he'll return at some point this season, and Mara has looked absolutely fantastic in preseason.
Aday Mara is showing out in preseason
Through two preseason games, the 7-foot-3 giant has averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2 blocks, while being 15-for-15 from the field.
I know it's just preseason basketball. Still, the thought of the Thunder adding a 7-foot-3 beast who can contribute immediately should put the Wolves on edge, particularly given their lack of frontcourt size and depth.
Mara looks like a 10-year veteran in preseason. He just fits in while simultaneously jumping off the screen because of his absurd size. Offensively, Mara is a highly efficient lob threat. He rolls to the rim well and is always open thanks to his elite size. Furthermore, Mara has spectacular feel for the game and has displayed impressive passing chops in the high post and on short rolls.
The Thunder can run a lot of double big lineups with Mara and Holmgren. Having two 7-footers, one who is a dominant interior force and one who can space the floor, is an impossible task to cover.
Defensively, Mara is a great rim protector who deters opponents from attacking the rack. His presence can free up Chet as a roamer. Between him and I-Hart, it's fair to expect to see Chet's off-ball defense being leaned on more, and given his defensive playmaking acumen, that could be lethal.
Mara will have to prove himself in the regular season, but all signs point to him being a plug-and-play big man.
Why Mara and the Thunder could give the Timberwolves headaches
By adding Jonathan Kuminga, the Wolves bolstered their frontcourt size. Still, it's not at the level it was in past years. Even with "just" Chet and I-Hart, the Thunder's double-big looks caused problems for the Wolves. Things will be tougher with the Wolves sacrificing their size and Mara in the mix.
Outside of Gobert, it's unclear how the Wolves will defend these big men. Kuminga will likely spend a lot of time guarding Chet. While Kuminga has the strength to be disruptive, he is at a height disadvantage and might not have ample defensive discipline. If Beringer isn't ready for significant minutes, things could get especially dicey.
Just as concerningly, the Wolves will likely get crushed on the glass playing against these giants.
Offensively, I think the Timberwolves' spacing can be a weapon to offset the Thunder's rim protection. Regardless, the Thunder could cut off the Wolves' driving lanes—since Minnesota will generate a bunch of 3-pointers off drive-and-kick actions, that could be a major problem.
The Timberwolves need every possible advantage they can get to upset this dominant team. Unfortunately, Mara's presence will only create more challenges for Minnesota.
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