Ajay

Mitchell

Despite being without Jalen Williams (hamstring) since Game 2 of their first-round series against Phoenix, the Thunder have not skipped a beat. And they’ve got Mitchell to thank for that. The second-year guard, who was out injured for the team’s run to the title last spring, has scored at least 15 points in each of the five games he’s started this postseason. Mitchell finished Game 3 with playoff career-highs in points and assists, and he’s scored at least 20 points in three of his five starts. Oklahoma City holding a 3-0 series lead removes any urgency to get J-Dub back on the court, especially with Mitchell playing as well as he has.

On strictly two-pointers and free throws, Mitchell finished as one of three OKC players to reach 20 points in Game 2. He’s now scored at least 15 points in four of the Thunder’s six postseason games so far, making scoring outputs like Thursday’s more and more of the standard. Also notable was Mitchell’s effectiveness as a passer — he led his team in assists on the evening while committing just two turnovers in the process. Mitchell continues to fill nicely into the starting unit during Jalen Williams’ absence. He’ll likely remain an important piece as the series progresses.

Mitchell continues to play well as a starter in place of the injured Jalen Williams. He scored in double figures for a fourth straight game before finishing as one of the Thunder’s top scorers on the evening. Mitchell was also a willing facilitator in the victory, which helped him finish among OKC’s most impactful players by plus-minus. He’ll likely remain in the starting unit for as long as Williams is sidelined, allowing him more opportunities to log strong performances.

With no Jalen Williams, who’s week-to-week with a hamstring injury, Mitchell entered the Thunder starting lineup for Game 3. Unsurprisingly, the Suns were fine with the second-year guard getting up shots, and his 20 attempts led Oklahoma City. Mitchell did not shoot the ball well, making 25 percent of his attempts, but the Thunder had enough production from other players to compensate. Just as important was his not hesitating to take those shots, and Oklahoma City will want that to remain the case in Game 4 on Monday.

With nothing on the line in Sunday’s game, the Thunder are once again resting their rotation player of note, save Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Jared McCain. Dort only played 20 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Nuggets; look for him to take on a similar workload on Sunday. Wiggins, McCain and Nikola Topić should remain in the starting lineup.

Wallace and Mitchell are a couple of Oklahoma City’s rotation players who won’t play against the Nuggets on Friday. Several starters have also been ruled out, leaving the Thunder with limited depth. They locked up the top overall seed on Wednesday and will have homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

Williams was held out of Tuesday’s win over the Lakers, resulting in Ajay Mitchell making a spot start. J-Dub’s return means the Thunder will have their preferred starting lineup available for Wednesday’s game, dropping Mitchell to the bench.

Williams is available for Thursday’s game after sitting out Monday’s win over the Pistons, which was Oklahoma City’s second game in as many nights. His return pushes Ajay Mitchell to the bench, where the second-year guard’s fantasy value takes a hit.

Mitchell played his role well on Monday as a supplementary piece. He made shots when given the opportunity, took advantage of his trips to the charity stripe, and made plays on both ends of the floor. He finished as the team’s second leading scorer on the night despite a fairly unspectacular final line. Mitchell’s next chance to produce will come on Thursday against the Lakers.

With Monday’s game being their second in as many nights, the Thunder won’t have Jalen Williams or Isaiah Hartenstein. Wallace and Mitchell move into the starting lineup, which shifts Dort and Holmgren down a position.