When the Indiana Pacers made their deal for Ivica Zubac, they did so understanding that if they missed out on one of the top four prospects on draft lottery night, they would be without any first-round picks for the near future.
Indiana still has three tradeable picks, having moved only two first-rounders for Zubac, but, in their unwillingness to consider another guard or forward when they protected their pick for the top four, they missed out on any chance at drafting any high-end talent going forward.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have done the opposite thing. Despite being the winningest team in the NBA over the past two years, the Thunder opted to draft the prospects that fell to them. That came in the form of 12th overall pick Aday Mara out of Michigan and 16th overall pick Bennett Stirtz out of Iowa.
So far this preseason, those two rookies have been absolutely dominating and look capable of taking on major roles in the future as OKC's depth ages out of being playable. While their success looks to be at odds with how the Pacers have built their team, Indiana doesn't have time to look at their process while they face down the dynamic duo they will have to guard on Tuesday night.
Mara and Stirtz: Attorneys at Ball
Mara is a bit of a throwback big. He's incredibly large, with a massive wingspan, and is more than capable of finishing on the block. Ironically, before he fell late in the draft process, Mara was the player that most experts considered for the Pacers before they moved their pick. He's an excellent shot blocker and showed some signs of growth across his two years in the NCAA as a shooter and as a passer.
In a league that is increasingly trying to deal with big man talent in the form of Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama, the emergence of Mara could give the Thunder a cheap, cost-controlled option to guard the best players in the league.
Stirtz, for his part, looks to be a near clone of Jared McCain, even if the obvious veteran to replace would be Alex Caruso. It seems like general manager Sam Presti was more interested in adding more ball handlers who could help break the more aggressive defensive schemes that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was forced to face in the playoffs.
Stirtz and Mara both solve immediate needs while countering the new strategies that opponents have been using to shut down the Thunder. This is what good GMS do.
On the other side of things, Chad Buchanan of the Pacers has made two major additions to this core since the finals appearance. He traded a considerable amount of assets for Zubac, who still has a questionable fit with the team, and made Kelly Oubre Jr his premier free-agent signing.
While tonight's game will lay bare the difficulties of defending Mara and Stirtz, their existence already calls into question how the Pacers are run and if they can reach their championship ceiling without the depth and flexibility that come with drafting well.
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