OKC Thunder rookie leads bench in win over Kings

In a Monday night win over the Sacramento Kings, OKC Thunder rookie Ajay Mitchell shined more than most.

In just 17 total minutes, he led the Thunder bench with a career-high 15 points on solid 6-for-8 shooting. He scored his only three-point attempt and played a crucial role as the team’s substitute in the game-winning minutes. Forward Kenrich Williams was the next highest bench scorer with 10 points.

He was particularly effective in the second half, when he flew around and perfectly picked off shots from the team of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and recent addition Isaiah Hartenstein.

Mitchell has been one of the bigger surprises in the entire class so far this season. Drafted No. 38 out of UC Santa Barbara, there weren’t much expectations for him in his first year with a talented Thunder squad. But he still blew them away.

Mitchell may not be particularly athletic, but his speed helped him succeed in his debut season with OKC. He is a skilled handler, capable of playing lead guard or moving to an off-ball spot. He fits seamlessly into Oklahoma City’s strong team as a scorer, passer and even defender.

Prior to the matchup against Sacramento, Mitchell had averaged 5.4 points, 1.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game on 50-47-78 splits in 16 games.

Mitchell and the Thunder next face the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, November 27th at 9 p.m

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