Dillon Jones Gaining Valuable Rookie Season Experience With OKC Thunder

Oklahoma City’s first round pick is getting valuable, low-stakes court time with the NBA’s best team.

Mar 19, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Dillon Jones (3) shoots against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Heading into the season, Oklahoma City’s roster looked loaded from top to bottom. For a rookie coming into the NBA, the Thunder would be a good spot to land with a proven development program and a track record of draft success. But from a playing time standpoint, the outlook gets a bit murky.

Cracking Oklahoma City’s rotation seems like a tall task to hurdle. The Thunder currently sits at 57-12 with a wild 12.5 game lead on the rest of the Western Conference. If it weren’t for a few blown leads, we’d be talking more about this Thunder team as one of the greatest regular season teams of all time.

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The success is even more important when you factor in the injuries Oklahoma City has sustained. It looked like an uphill battle for playing time heading into the season, but as everything has unfolded, opportunities have opened up occasionally for the Thunder’s rookies. Ajay Mitchell was able to take advantage of early minutes by snagging a rotation spot before getting injured. Now, with a depleted lineup, Dillon Jones is getting his chance too.

The first-round pick had one of his most impactful outings of the season on Wednesday night, as the Thunder took down a hobbled Sixers squad. Jones got the start and played a season-high 36 minutes, stuffing the stat sheet. He added 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals. He was a +20 in his time on the floor. 

Jones hasn’t carved out a consistent role, but he’s picking up experiences as they arise. As a matter of fact, most of his rookie season has been picking up valuable minutes in the G League. For the OKC Blue, Jones is averaging 13.4 points 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He fits the Thunder's mold of an undersized forward that can do it all.

With more court time, Jones will only look more comfortable. Early on, he had some deer in the headlights moments. With injuries piling up, rest on the horizon, and Oklahoma City dangerously close to securing the No. 1 seed, Jones will certainly have a few more opportunities down the stretch.

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