Three Takeaways From the OKC Thunder's 2024 Summer League Opener

Oklahoma City played its first Summer League game of the year on Monday night, with a handful of players making their NBA debuts.

Ajay Mitchell in Oklahoma City, Saturday, June, 29, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

On Monday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder played its first Summer League game of the year against the Philadelphia 76ers in Salt Lake City.

Despite losing 102-92, the Thunder had multiple young players suiting up for their professional debut who showed the potential to make plays in an NBA setting. In addition to a handful of draft picks and undrafted free agents on the roster, there are a few players who earned big minutes on Monday night that have already spent at least one season in the organization.

Here are three takeaways from OKC's loss on Monday night.

Ajay can play

In his NBA Summer League debut, rookie second round draft pick Ajay Mitchell shined for the Thunder.

In just over 28 minutes on the floor, Mitchell tallied 14 points, four assists, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks while shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from 3-point range.

Ajay’s first bucket as a pro 😎#GoGauchos | @okcthunder pic.twitter.com/v69KJiaHrT

— UC Santa Barbara Basketball (@UCSBbasketball) July 8, 2024

In addition to putting his solid perimeter shooting touch on display, Mitchell controlled the game well on offense, operating as a solid floor general for OKC. The 38th overall pick in the 2024 Draft looked good as a passer while showing great hustle and effort on the defensive end of the court.

While Mitchell will likely spend most of his rookie season in the G League due to the depth of Oklahoma City's roster, Monday night's performance illustrated that the UC Santa Barbara product has the potential to develop into a solid NBA player.

Ousmane Dieng and Dillon Jones stuff the stat sheet

While Ousmane Dieng and Dillon Jones both struggled to shoot the ball on Monday night, each player managed to impact the game in other ways.

Dieng finished with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, shooting a lackluster 3-of-14 from the field and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. Despite the third-year wing's shooting woes, he still showed flashes driving into the paint and making good passes to players on the perimeter.

Jones notched nine points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and a steal in his professional debut, showcasing his versatile skill set. While the Weber State product shot just 4-of-11 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point range, Jones helped run the Thunder's offense from the wing, displaying the connective ability that Sam Presti seems to covet.

Additionally, Jones was good enough on the glass to have a chance at cracking the end of Mark Daigneault's rotation early in his career if he can continue to look like a solid passer and rebounder.

Flagler looks like a veteran

After a five-year college career and a G League title with the OKC Blue in 2024, Adam Flagler is one of the veterans on the Thunder's Summer League roster.

On Monday night, he looked confident in Oklahoma City's starting lineup, making good decisions with the ball in his hands and shooting well from the perimeter.

In less than 25 minutes on the court, Flagler led OKC with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal while shooting 6-of-14 from 3-point range. If Flagler continues to perform well, he could see his role in the organization increase after being a solid contributor in the G League.

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