Oklahoma City Thunder’s Latest Success Story

The Oklahoma City Thunder has done it again.

With a front office known for evaluating talent at an incredibly high rate leading up to each NBA Draft, and a developmental staff that consistently gets the most out of every prospect who walks through its doors, it’s no surprise this small market franchise has success.

Ajay Mitchell is the next diamond in the rough for Oklahoma City.

Although he was viewed as a first-round talent by many teams and had a real chance to be selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, Mitchell ultimately slipped to the second round, giving the Thunder a chance to grab him at No. 38 overall. The 6-foot-5 guard played three seasons at UC Santa Barbara after really developing in Belgium as a teen. He was a prolific offensive engine at the collegiate level, but given the level of competition in the Big West Conference and the uncertainty about playing off-ball as a complimentary piece at the NBA level, he wasn’t a clear cut first-round talent to many.

After a promising start to his rookie campaign, a toe injury effectively ended his meaningful minutes for the year. He returned late in the regular season but didn’t have enough time to re-establish himself in the rotation for the playoffs.

So, entering year two, there was a quiet belief he could take that next step. And he has.

Mitchell had a phenomenal NBA Summer League and a great training camp, and through the first five games of this season, he’s been nothing short of outstanding. He’s inserted himself into the Sixth Man of the Year conversation and even into the Most Improved Player mix, though that award rarely goes to second-year players. His rise has been one of the league’s biggest early surprises.

Mitchell’s opportunity has largely come from the injuries Oklahoma City has dealt with, most notably to Jalen Williams, who is one of the team’s primary ball handlers and scorers. That absence opened the door for Mitchell to take on more on-ball reps and shot volume, and he’s done more with it than anyone could have expected. In those five games, he’s averaging nearly 19 points per contest and has arguably been the Thunder’s third-best player to this point in the season.

When Oklahoma City returns to full strength, the expectation is that Mitchell will still be a nightly rotation player, though his shot attempts and minutes may dip slightly. Even so, he’s proven to be a budding elite reserve in this league.

What’s going to keep him on the floor, just as it did when he first cracked the rotation, is his defense. As much praise as Mitchell is getting for his poise, efficient scoring and ability to facilitate and create for both himself and others, it’s his defense that separates him from other score-first guards around the league. He can pick up full court, plays a disruptive style, takes smart angles and understands positioning at a high level.

Mitchell is simply a winning player.

Take the stats out of it and watch the film. The 23-year-old consistently makes big, crucial plays that swing games. The Thunder has gone down to the wire in four of its five games on the way to a 5-0 start, and Mitchell has played a massive part of all of them. His awareness, effort and execution in tight moments have already earned him the trust of Mark Daigneault and his teammates.

It will be interesting to see how his role evolves once the team is fully healthy, especially when Jalen Williams returns to the lineup. But there’s no doubt that Ajay Mitchell has quickly become one of the fastest-rising young players in the NBA. He’s a two-way guard who already plays with the composure of a veteran and continues to prove he belongs on a championship contender.

For Oklahoma City, it looks like the team has struck gold again with Ajay Mitchell.