Q. Getting first impressions of Summer League but what impresses you about the rookie class?
ADAY MARA: Rookie class, great guys. I've been doing for a couple weeks things with them, like try to know, obviously, like the teammates, but the city, too, going somewhere to eat and all those things. Great guys.
For my first impression, was good, like the team, the group is amazing. So I'm happy to be here, yeah.
Q. Saw you out in Fort Worth with Kenrich and others as well. What was that experience like and how much does it help, especially someone new to a team to get a little bit acclimated with a group?
ADAY MARA: It was great. It was the first time that I started playing against them. Like most of the guys were there. So it was, basically, my first contact with the team. And that reminds me a lot to what we did last year in Michigan. We went to north Michigan to a farm, the whole team together to, just spend time, and I think that really helped. It's great. It was great for me as a rookie to have that kind of thing so I can start knowing everyone in the team. So I think it was a great experience, yeah.
Q. As a guy who loves to facilitate and positive, how excited are you to play with so many great scoring options around you?
ADAY MARA: Obviously we have a lot of talent on this team. I have to, like, figure out what's going to be my role. That's going to be Mark's thing.
But I'm just -- I'm just going to try to help the team as much as I can. I know there's really good guards. We've got an MVP on the team. I think my role, I think, is going to be a little bit different. But I'm just here to, as I said, try to help the team as much as I can and just figure out how it's going to be my role, what Mark says, and how I can like fit in this team.
Q. Obviously league is shifting in a way where we are getting more double-big lineups. Have you ever played with another 7-footer on your team in lineups before like you would with Chet?
ADAY MARA: Yeah, I did. I don't know if with another 7-footer but definitely with another big.
So yeah, I've done that. I don't know how it's going to be, obviously. We just practicing. We just playing and we just, right now, doing like the basics. I'm still learning all the plays and the ways that we can play defense and all those things.
So I don't know yet but obviously playing with Chet will be an awesome thing.
Q. What were you able to learn from why you are experience playing with Team Spain this summer?
ADAY MARA: That was my first contact after three years, I think, without playing with, I would say, pro players. When I was back in Spain, I was playing NACB, so I was playing with players that they were older than me. Came to college. They were all the same age. So that was the first time in a long time I was playing with people older than my age. So that was a good thing to have before getting to the team, and just getting back to how it feels to play with older players, with more experienced players and professionals.
So I think it was great to play with the national team.
Q. Alex said that you have a high feel for the game and you're a monster. What does it feel like to have a two-time NBA champ and vet speak about your game like that at this point?
ADAY MARA: That's great. I'm happy he said that. I'm going to go back to what I said before. I'm just going to try to help the team as much as I can. Obviously those runs that we played, it's not going to be how I'm going to play or how we're going to play during the year.
But I'm happy that he said that and I'm -- I don't know, I mean, it's been a great couple weeks learning from everyone. I'm from -- Alex, I can say he's a great competitor and he's going to be -- he's been helping me a lot with things on the court. So I'm very grateful that I'm with him on the team.
Q. With the Thunder coming off the Game 7 loss against the Spurs, and the week after, month or so, you're drafted, did it cross your mind that you'll be part of this, essentially, new rivalry in the NBA between Thunder and Spurs?
ADAY MARA: To be honest, it took me for a little bit, I got drafted, and, okay, I'm going to OKC. And then you start seeing that you're going to a team that has a rivalry and has to play against all these teams.
So yeah, it took me for a couple weeks. But obviously we have like a rivalry against the Spurs because we just played the final conference (game) last year, and they are a great team. But we have like a long season to go. We have a lot of teams that we have to play against.
So I'm worried going about going game-by-game, play my first game first, and then think about all these other teams and all this. It's more like playing against every time. I'm more concerned about that than just the Spurs.
Q. What skillset are you most confident in heading into training camp tomorrow of your game?
ADAY MARA: It would probably be in defense, protecting the rim. Trying to, like, clean up like the mistakes that other guards can make or just trying to be there to help.
And I don't know, in offense, I don't know. I don't know yet, we just been playing.
But hopefully I can just be like, I don't know, I can just help the offense to be more fluid with more movement and just get people open, even if it's like screening or passing the ball or whatever it has to be.
But yeah, that would be like my idea.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports