Thunder drop to 0-3 as Mara shines in camp — Northwest Division roundup

The Oklahoma City Thunder let another close one slip away on Monday, falling 113-110 on the road in Atlanta. The loss drops Oklahoma City to 0-3, leaving the Thunder at the bottom of a competitive Northwest Division in the early going.

Thunder: slow start, but Mara a bright spot

The rough opening stretch comes as the Thunder lean heavily on their young core. According to Hoops Rumors, relaying reporting from The Oklahoman, rookie center Aday Mara has been one of the clear positives in training camp and the preseason. The Spanish big man, taken 12th overall in June, has made a notable impact in his first two exhibition outings, averaging 17.0 per game. For a Thunder team still searching for balance, that kind of early production from a young center is an encouraging sign.

Nuggets: Walker cut, Gordon looking good physically

In Denver, the Nuggets (2-1) continue to fine-tune their roster. As reported by Hoops Rumors, veteran guard Lonnie Walker IV has been waived. He was on a non-guaranteed training camp deal, meaning Denver won’t carry any dead money from the move, and he had seen only limited action to this point.

Hoops Rumors also highlights a more important storyline for Denver: Aaron Gordon’s health. The veteran forward is coming off a year in which injuries bothered him throughout both the regular season and the playoffs, but he looked much better physically in Sunday’s win over Chicago, according to a Denver Gazette report cited by Hoops Rumors. For a Nuggets team with top-tier ambitions in the West, seeing Gordon move freely in the preseason is a significant boost.

Timberwolves, Jazz and Trail Blazers stay mostly quiet

The Minnesota Timberwolves (3-1) were off the schedule, but LaMelo Ball’s integration remains a talking point. Hoops Rumors notes, via The Athletic, that head coach Chris Finch emphasized the importance of Ball’s influence in the locker room as well as on the court. The Utah Jazz (2-1) are mentioned in Hoops Rumors’ Northwest notes but otherwise stayed out of the spotlight, while the Portland Trail Blazers (2-0) quietly remain unbeaten, awaiting stiffer upcoming tests.