Despite being on a championship contender and the best team in the Western conference, Ajay Mitchell has been a relatively prominent feature in an Oklahoma City Thunder rotation that has double-digit players logging over 10 minutes per game. The second-round draft pick is currently sitting at 13.9 minutes per game, more than third-year player Ousmane Dieng and over double what first-round pick Dillon Jones is averaging.

He’s been making the most of these minutes all season long, averaging 4.8 points, 2.0 assists and one stock (steals plus blocks) on 62.6% true shooting in those 14 minutes. These aren’t just garbage-time minutes either, he’s getting legitimate playing time in select games, one of those being on Friday night versus the Houston Rockets. In 20 minutes (including eight non-garbage time minutes, as categorized by PBP Stats), Mitchell logged 12 points, seven assists, and thee steals while shooting 4-for-4 on twos and 1-for-2 on threes.

His pace has distinctly popped and is something that’s translated to the NBA from UC Santa Barbara. He possesses special change of pace and change of direction abilities, with shiftiness somewhat reminiscent of Jalen Brunson coming out of Villanova. Of course, he’s not anywhere near the level of shotmaker Brunson was, but he still has great touch that shows in his interior finishes, floaters, and jump shots, all of which pair beautifully with his pace.

While it may seem that way, the translation to the NBA wasn’t seamless by any means for Mitchell though. And as a rookie, he still hasn’t fully figured it of course. He mentioned that he’s still learning how to pace himself and read defenses at this level, and that he’s learning a lot from teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

Learning from those two as a creator with his innate intersection of functional athleticism (flexibility, stability, change of direction) and touch is exciting to think about, and the early returns have already been amazing.

Despite being drafted with the 38th overall pick, Mitchell seems to be yet another win for Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they add another potential win-now guard with tons of creation upside. The Thunder proves yet again why every draft pick matters and why winning on the margins matters. Keep in mind this is the team that drafted Aaron Wiggins at No. 55 in 2021, who just signed a five-year, $47-million contract this past offseason and is currently sixth in minutes per game and fourth in points per game on the team.

Who’s to say Mitchell won’t be in a similar position three years from 2024?

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