Ajay Mitchell With Room to Grow After First Playoff Start for OKC Thunder

The Thunder's second-year guard made an impact and has plenty of room to improve.

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 secured a commanding 3-0 lead in Phoenix, and it has to be excited about its young guard after his first playoff start.

Heading into Game 3 in Phoenix, the Thunder had plenty of storylines surrounding the matchup. Of course, none was bigger than the question of who would step up for the Thunder after Jalen Williams' injury.

An MVP-like performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the driving force in the Thunder’s Game 3 win, but Ajay Mitchell also showed that he can carry some of the load with Williams out of the lineup. While it seemed clear that Mitchell would see a larger role with Williams on the sidelines, that was all but confirmed when Mark Daigneault inserted the second-year player into the starting lineup.

Simply looking at the box score, it was far from an ideal first playoff start for Mitchell. He finished with 15 points and six rebounds in 32 minutes, but he managed to shoot only 5-of-20 from the field.

Putting up the most shots of anyone on the Thunder and trailing only Dillon Brooks’ 21 shots for the game, it’s easy to say that Mitchell may have been a bit too shot-happy in the win. Although that’s true to some extent, his process offensively was exactly what the Thunder needed, even if he wasn’t having the most efficient afternoon.

Of Mitchell’s 20 shots, 14 came in the paint, showing that he was able to get inside against Phoenix’s defense and force the Suns to collapse. While he only finished with two assists and missed several shots that he typically makes inside, the Thunder have to be intrigued by his performance.

Based on his shot chart alone, there can’t be many complaints from the Thunder aside from his misses. As the secondary ball handler alongside Gilgeous-Alexander and the leader of the second unit when he’s on the bench, Mitchell’s one turnover and +15 plus-minus help show how important he was in the win.

Considering that 5-of-20 is probably about as bad a game as Mitchell will have shooting the ball, he should be in a position to be a real second scoring threat for the Thunder. As he adjusts to this role in the starting lineup, likely at least for the next few games, Mitchell’s effectiveness as a scorer and playmaker should improve.

Game 3 was far from a perfect outing for Mitchell, but he showed some flashes of exactly what the Thunder are hoping to get from him as the postseason goes along.