What Will Role Be for OKC Thunder Rookie?

The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen Ajay Mitchell explode in the preseason but what will his role be during the regular season?

Oct 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talks to guard Ajay Mitchell (25) during a break in play in the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

It is hard not to overreact to the NBA Preseason, such a small sample size, wacky lineups and a sense of just testing or working on skillsets that leave the waters muddied on what actually will carry over to the regular season.

So far, the Oklahoma City Thunder have played four preseason games with one left on Thursday against Atlanta. In three of those tilts, rookie Ajay Mitchell stole headlines. The No. 38 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft has looked anything but a first year player.

After seconding the UC Santa Barbara product in the second round in June, the Thunder inked the guard to a two-way pact. Quickly, Mitchell began to stand out, dominating NBA Summer League before entering his first NBA training camp.

At camp, Mitchell was the talk of the town - seeing rave reviews from his teammates and bench boss en route to the preseason where he is averaging 12 points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal per game while shooting 57 percent from the floor in three games.

This has left observers wondering if Sam Presti struck gold again and what the role for Mitchell will look like in the regular season.

The early returns are positive, that the Thunder have once again found a second round gem. Mitchell is a high-processing guard with great feel and control which is rare from a first-year player and evident by his jaw-dropping 91 percent at the rim and 1.3 points per possession produced as a pick-and-roll ball handler.

For a team still searching for a secondary table setter, this could allow Mitchell to crack a heavily contested rotation for a coach like Mark Daigneault who has shown a willingness to throw young guys into the fire early and often - a decision that has paid off more often than not including with Cason Wallace who played 82 games in his rookie season a year ago.

Given how the Thunder are so deep it does not appear Mitchell is in line for 82 games during the 2024-25 campaign, the 21-year-old will still get plenty of playing time with a chance to carve out a consistent role.

By the same token, the preseason will not leave Oklahoma City jumping the shark. Despite having an open standard NBA slot, do not expect a conversion anytime soon.

The Thunder love flexibility and holding onto that open spot through the NBA Trade Deadline and buyout season will allow Oklahoma City to keep all their options open - especially under the current two-way rules where Mitchell can play in 50 games for the Thunder before needing a standard spot.

Despite the writing feeling on the wall about the Thunder guard being the next in line to join Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins as two-way success stories, it will not need to be rushed.

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