Three straight seasons where the Oklahoma City Thunder got the luxury of sitting back, relaxing, and watching the remainder of the first round play out from the comfort of their own homes.
In all three seasons, the team has been the definition of dominant through the first round. But this year, either the Phoenix Suns brought out the best in OKC, or this team is simply more lethal than they’ve been the last three years, including when they won the NBA title one year ago. What has changed, though? OKC’s two additions, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber, haven’t played this postseason. They’ve essentially run it back, and while experience definitely plays a role in all of this, Ajay Mitchell is what, or who, sticks out the most.
Shai’s 33.8 points per game in round one are nothing short of unbelievable, but we’ve grown accustomed to the MVP doing unbelievable things. Chet Holmgren was a walking mismatch—17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Jalen Williams was well on his way to turning a sweep into a blowout for OKC every game, averaging 20.5 points over two games, but his injury forced Mitchell to prove his growth throughout the course of this season.
All season long, I turned negatives into positives. Negatives regarding OKC’s ongoing injury woes. Positives regarding the experience OKC’s role players were getting, and at the top of that list was Mitchell.
Last season, there was promise, but not enough sample size to draw broad conclusions. In Ajay’s 56 games played in his sophomore NBA season, he averaged 13.6 points per game, finding a way to carve out a role on the most fruitful roster in the NBA.
Luckily for Mark Daigneault, that same edge, calmness, and productivity seemed to carry into the playoffs. And while there’s still a lot of basketball to be played, with higher stakes in later rounds building more intensity, Ajay has proven that these moments don’t shake him.
“He saw the ball go in a little bit more tonight, but he was just as impactful whether the ball goes in or not,” said Chet Holmgren after Game 4 in Phoenix. “Running the offense, getting good shots for us. And then he does the main things for us on defense, too.”
Yes, Mitchell shot the ball 20 times in Game 3 and didn’t make as many as he desired. But seeing him, in his first-career playoff start, play with the same aggression he possessed all season—not “ducking any smoke” in a playoff setting—spoke volumes about who he is, solidifying what I already grew to believe during the season.
As Jalen Williams works back into the offense, presumably at some point during the offseason, it’ll be interesting to see how OKC uses Mitchell. I’d like to think his light won’t be dimmed, just pointed in a slightly different direction to highlight another aspect of what OKC is doing.
But one thing’s for sure, one thing’s for certain: wherever Mark Daigneault needs Ajay Mitchell to make an impact, he’s proven he can do it. Something that’s incredibly special for a second-year guy.
