Ajay Mitchell Faces Big Opportunity, Pressure After Jalen Williams Injury

The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the Phoenix Suns in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. Ajay Mitchell will now see a larger opportunity following the Jalen Williams injury news.

Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) dribbles down the court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City was rolling in Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns. Up 80-65 with 6:36 to go in the third frame, the Thunder suffered a huge loss. Jalen Williams sprinted down the floor in transition after Chet Holmgren turned away a shot at the rim into the arms of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder superstar reared back and darted a bounce pass up the floor between two Suns to give Williams an open path to the basket. As Williams went up at the rim, he landed awkwardly, and immediately it was clear something wasn't right.

Williams hunched over on the baseline, labored in an attempt to get back and instantly knew he needed to check out of the Thunder's Game 2 outing against the Suns. After being checked out on the sidelines by Oklahoma City's medical team, the fourth-year swingman left for the locker room, never to return.

This has been an injury-riddled season for Williams and the Thunder. The Santa Clara product only played in 33 games this season. He started the year shelved while rehabbing from offseason wrist surgery. Then, after returning in late November, he didn't have much time to get his bearings about him before suffering his first of two right hamstring strains.

Now, the 25-year-old swingman is sidelined week-to-week with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. It is unclear how much time Williams will miss, but the team is likely to be without him for the remainder of their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.

Thunder Injury Update: Jalen Williams has sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. He will be re-evaluated on a weekly basis. Per Thunder

— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) April 23, 2026

The Oklahoma City Thunder hold a commanding 2-0 lead over the Suns as the series shifts to Phoenix on Saturday. The Thunder are hoping to end this series in short order to have plenty of off days to regroup ahead of their potential round two series with the Los Angeles Lakers or Houston Rockets.

Oklahoma City has swept its last two first-round matchups dating back to 2024, though it will face its toughest challenge yet going to battle without its No. 2 scoring option.

However, the Thunder are accustomed to playing with Williams, getting off to a jaw-dropping 24-1 start without the All-NBA swingman to start this season and rattling off 64 wins throughout the 2025-26 regular season with the Santa Clara product playing in less than half the team's contests.

The fallout of this injury puts a lot of pressure in the form of a big opportunity in front of the Thunder's second-year guard, Ajay Mitchell.

A year ago, Mitchell got off to a stellar start to his rookie campaign before suffering a turf toe injury in January that effectively ended his first season. The 2026 NBA Playoffs represent Mitchell's first true postseason stint and now his role continues to grow.

While no one knows how Mark Daigneault will handle the starting lineup down one of his staple first five members, it is clear that the second-year guard will be leaned on heavily to recreate a lot of the offensive punch that Williams provided this team.

Mitchell's ability to create his own shot is second only to Gilgeous-Alexander on this active roster for the remainder of the team's first-round series against Phoenix. The 23-year-old is able to get a foot in the paint at will. Oftentimes, getting to the cup for a finish around the rim, forcing the issue and getting to the free throw line, pulling up in the mid-range, or bending the opposing defense enough to create a shot for one of his teammates.

These are all things Williams thrives at and that will be sorely missed in his absence. Mitchell can re-create some of that, it still will not be at an All-NBA level. That is no slight on the Thunder's second year understudy but just the reality of missing such a talented player.

In year two, Mitchell converts at a 67% clip at the cup, 48% in the mid-range and 42% on corner 3 point shot attempts. Oklahoma City should get these looks at will for the No. 38 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft against these Suns.

Playing alongside Gilgeous-Alexander should open up clean looks from distance in Mitchell's preferred spots to generate offense for Oklahoma City. When Mitchell is on the ball, the trust the Thunder have in his ability to read the floor will play off. If he sees drop coverage he can snake around a ball screen and pull up in the mid-range, if the Suns play level with the screen you trust Mitchell to break the pressure and get into the paint. If Phoenix plays Mitchell straight up then swarms into the paint his playmaking ability can turn him into a table setter for high quality shots for OKC.

The offensive drop off exists but will not be a as wide as a canyon from Williams to Mitchell. However, where the team will miss their All-NBA swingman most perhaps is on the defensive end. A year ago, the Santa Clara product was an All-Defensive selection.

Through the first two games of this Suns series, Williams length, size, physicality all served as disrupting forces for a Phoenix offense that can stall at times due to their lack of a true point guard. The switch-ability of Williams has flustered and flummoxed the Suns offense with his pick pocket ability and uncanning abilty to snuff out Suns possessions by being omnipresent even in help.

Mitchell has vastly improved defensively this season, something head coach Mark Daigneault pointed out this development way back during October's training camp.

When assigned as the point of attack defender in isolation, according to synergy, Mitchell holds matchup to a dreadful 7-for-30 shooting from the floor. This season he has piled up 1.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game while ranking in the 90th percentile as a defensive matchup against a pick-and-roll ball handler.

There is reason to believe in the young Thunder guard being able to recreate a lot of the positive traits of Williams game to make the loss of an All-NBA swingman more palatable than it otherwise would be for other squads. The perks of Oklahoma City boasting the deepest, most talented team in the NBA.

Now, with a massive opportunity on him, Mitchell has to go out and perform under pressure. So far in his NBA career, the second round pick has answered every call.