Mitchell explodes for 24 points in his return, showcasing elite self-creation and paint scoring vital to the Thunder's offense.
Monday night’s game may have been the best of the year. Despite playing with a decimated frontcourt, Oklahoma City defeated Denver on a game-winning Shai Gilgeous-Alexander triple. The reigning league MVP finished the contest with 35 points, 15 assists, nine rebounds, two stocks and zero turnovers on 14-of-21 shooting from the field. It was a statement performance similar to Stephen Curry’s game-winning triple from the logo against the Thunder in 2016.
Jaylin Williams also deserves his flowers. He was Oklahoma City’s lone active center in this matchup and hustled for 39 minutes. Williams stuffed the box score to the tune of 29 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two stocks.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams justifiably grabbed the spotlight, but Ajay Mitchell’s performance off the bench may be the main takeaway.
It was Mitchell’s first game since Jan. 21 due to an abdominal strain and sprained ankle, so he could hardly be blamed for a rusty performance. Instead, Mitchell looked like he never left and contributed 24 points and three assists on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. The former second-round pick dribbled past Denver’s perimeter defenders with ease and seemingly wormed his way to the rim at will. This is nothing new, as Mitchell ranks 53rd across the NBA in unassisted rim attempts per 75 possessions (min. 750 minutes).
He also ranks 12th across the league in Paint Shot Making and 19th in Self-Created Shot Making. These metrics by Basketball Index adjust efficiency with shot quality. In other words, Mitchell is knocking down self-created shots and shots inside the paint at much higher rates than expected given the degrees of difficulty.
Why does Mitchell’s skill set matter so much? The Thunder’s guard rotation mostly features off-ball shooters who struggle with efficiency inside the arc, while Mitchell is a legitimate ball handler who can reliably attack the paint and set up teammates. He will keep the engine running when Gilgeous-Alexander takes a breather. Mitchell also punishes defenses that double Gilgeous-Alexander when they share the court because of his self-created scoring bag and craftiness. This is the main reason behind why the Thunder’s offense has scored 125 points per 100 possessions this season in minutes with Gilgeous-Alexander and Mitchell.
Overall, Mitchell’s much-anticipated return was a smashing success that showed his value to the Thunder on both ends of the court. He will be crucial at stabilizing Oklahoma City’s bench lineups during the playoffs and may even close games depending on the matchup.