Latest / Bleacher Report / Did Thunder Draft a 'Wemby Stopper' in Aday Mara? | 2026 NBA Draft

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Did Thunder Draft a 'Wemby Stopper' in Aday Mara? | 2026 NBA Draft · Bleacher Report

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Okay, Marrow was the other name that we keep mentioning here. Kurt,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: you alluded to the idea of this quote unquote Wemby
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  Speaker 1: Stopper that everyone is searching for. If there was one
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: team in this league that may be most interested in
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  Speaker 1: a Wemby Stopper right now, it might be the Oklahoma
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  Speaker 1: City Thunder, who are next on the clock. I'm matchmaking
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  Speaker 1: right now, Boogie. But is this as simple as it sounds.
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  Speaker 2: I don't think this kid would appreciate you giving him
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  Speaker 2: that title right now. That's a that's a tough hell
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  Speaker 2: to climb. Our Wenby is him for a reason. That's
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  Speaker 2: a that's a nightmare matchup for whoever you know you
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  Speaker 2: decide to put on your roster. So, you know, will
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: it help as far as depth with their big man position, Yes,
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: maybe so. But I don't think they're necessarily drafting this
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  Speaker 2: kid with the title of being the Weinby Stopper. But
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: I don't think that title.
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  Speaker 3: I just don't think there is a Wenby Stopper to
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  Speaker 3: be there just isn't one. I mean, I mean, he's
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  Speaker 3: shaped like Wenby, I'll say that, But I don't think
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  Speaker 3: there's such thing as a Wenby stopper unfortunately.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's very very real, guys. Wow, but yet, right,
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: there's only so many that size shaped human beings on
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  Speaker 1: the planet. Right, so you could see the vision if
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  Speaker 1: this is where Oklahoma City goes next, why should we expect.
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  Speaker 2: This from Oklahoma City?
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  Speaker 1: What would you do if you were on the clock
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  Speaker 1: right now?
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  Speaker 4: I think Mar's got to be the guy, and I
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  Speaker 4: think he gives them depth at the center position. But
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  Speaker 4: when you look who else is on the board, you
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  Speaker 4: know they have so many guards it's not much room.
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  Speaker 4: I'd say Cameron Carr would be a guy who could
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  Speaker 4: fit there. But yeah, I think Mar is just too unique.
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  Speaker 4: By the way, the Wemby stopper is silly because he
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  Speaker 4: can't really guard around the perimeter that much. Wemby. What
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  Speaker 4: separates him from guys' size is his ball handling A
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  Speaker 4: three point show.
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a very good point on the perimeter drop
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  Speaker 1: coverage of Mara. But hey, we nailed it, guys. The
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  Speaker 1: pick is in the Oklahoma City Thunder have selected a
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  Speaker 1: Diet Mara. This is the third Michigan Wolverine off the
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  Speaker 1: board in the first twelve picks, and KRT while I
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Victory Lap next to you the blue couch in the
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: Bleacher Reports studios. Please allow me to point out that
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  Speaker 1: this was a pretty generational college basketball team, and for
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  Speaker 1: good reason. I think, I think all three of these
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  Speaker 1: guys are going to be ready at the next level immediately,
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  Speaker 1: regardless of if it looks like a Webby stop or not.
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  Speaker 1: This is a guy who's ready to play real minutes
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  Speaker 1: in the league right now.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I just think the rich get Richard in this case.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, okay See is still very well equipped to
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  Speaker 3: win championship. Obviously with SGA and other players they have
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  Speaker 3: in the point, I just think Mara brings another aspect
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  Speaker 3: to that team, and you know, with chet Holmgren that
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  Speaker 3: forms I think a really good front court depth for
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  Speaker 3: the team. They also have Isaiah Hartenstein as well. I
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  Speaker 3: think it's just a very talented team. Adding a very
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  Speaker 3: talented kid who was seven foot fourth, it's really an
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  Speaker 3: embarrassment of riches for them at this point.
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  Speaker 2: I feel like at.
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  Speaker 1: His size, the intriguing things with Mara are the passing
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  Speaker 1: and the ball skills that you just don't see from
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  Speaker 1: someone his size. Boogie, I mean that was also the
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  Speaker 1: scout on you, right You're doing guard things in a
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  Speaker 1: non guard shaped human being. That's the whole appeal here
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  Speaker 1: with Mara. How do you think that translates.
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: I don't think that's what they drafted him for. You know,
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  Speaker 2: you have a pretty established group with the Okay see Thunder,
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  Speaker 2: you have the rain of MVP and Shay, you have
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  Speaker 2: a lot of veteran piece, you got an All Star
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  Speaker 2: and Chet. Like I said, I think this is a
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  Speaker 2: depth move. You know, they have to add as much
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  Speaker 2: talent as they can't considering what they have going on,
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  Speaker 2: and also kind of battling with that apron. So I
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  Speaker 2: think this was great depth for them. I think they're
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  Speaker 2: in a situation as far as figuring out Harnstein as
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  Speaker 2: well moving forward. So I think this is a safe
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  Speaker 2: pick for them. They're adding depth, they're adding talent. Any
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  Speaker 2: move Sam Prest he makes. I'm a fan of this.
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  Speaker 2: I don't know the guy will but he has my trust,
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  Speaker 2: so I don't think he can do anything wrong. So
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  Speaker 2: I'm okay with this pick.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't think we can doubt Sam Prest He's resume.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: At this point, the chat is buying into the Wemby
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  Speaker 1: Stopper for what it's worth. Look, Buggy's going to keep
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: telling us to calm down if I keep saying that
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  Speaker 1: term was Mara twelve, What do you think?
• 3:59
  Speaker 4: I mean? This is gettingridiculous at this point. Another A.
• 4:01
  Speaker 4: I feel like every time they pick, they're going to
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  Speaker 4: get in a. This is the best prospect available. This
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  Speaker 4: is a guy that they could use as somebody who
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  Speaker 4: just gives them a different element of defense. You know,
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  Speaker 4: Roy Hibbert is a guy it's hard to find a
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  Speaker 4: comparison for a guy who's seven to three in socks,
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  Speaker 4: But in terms of what they're going to do on
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  Speaker 4: the floor, I mean the way like we talked about
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  Speaker 4: his drop coverage, right, it never gets too far away
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  Speaker 4: from the basket, but he almost totally controls this defensive
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  Speaker 4: possession as you see him here, kind of switching on
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  Speaker 4: and reading the defense and moving his feet a little
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  Speaker 4: bit and keeping guys from turning the corner and then
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  Speaker 4: he recovers back to make the block. I mean, he
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  Speaker 4: touched a lot of different spots on the floor there,
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  Speaker 4: and so when we take a look at how he's
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  Speaker 4: going to fit with Oklahoma, Citney thunder is of course
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  Speaker 4: he's not going to start, but I mean to be
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  Speaker 4: able to bring a seven to three guy off the bench,
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  Speaker 4: who has a career twelve percent block percentage in college,
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  Speaker 4: who has an easy basket when he doesn't even have
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  Speaker 4: to jump, who is a passer like he is, and
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  Speaker 4: by the way, at that size, with his IQ, you know,
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  Speaker 4: he's got such a high passing point. You can run
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  Speaker 4: offense through him away from the basket. That can change
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  Speaker 4: your offensive look a little bit. So just a very
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  Speaker 4: unique type of guy to just be able to throw
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  Speaker 4: off your bench.
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  Speaker 1: I feel like he's landed in the spot that honestly
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  Speaker 1: is very healthy for him because he's a player with
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  Speaker 1: such a high ceiling and also some very real flaws,
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  Speaker 1: and going to a situation like Oklahoma City, you know,
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  Speaker 1: if he doesn't work out, there's not really pressure on him.
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  Speaker 1: Right They're the best team in the league on paper.
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  Speaker 1: It kind of reminds me of when he stepped into
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  Speaker 1: an ann arbor that ended up being so healthy for him.
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: Cart Yeah, and I just think that for him too.
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: You know, they're really not going to ask him to
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  Speaker 3: do anything crazy for them. They already have a very
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: talented team. I know that Chet didn't have the best playoffs,
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: but at the same time, that he was an All
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  Speaker 3: NBA big, he was an All Star. That's a type
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  Speaker 3: of player that he can be. I think mar is
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  Speaker 3: going to be in a great situation. And like I said,
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: it's not like a broken record, but I just can't believe. Okay,
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  Speaker 3: so he just keeps stacking all these good basketball players
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  Speaker 3: a year after year