For the Oklahoma City Thunder, everything was going swimmingly.
They looked poised to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series with the Phoenix Suns. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was as effective as ever. Their bench contributors, including Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso, were leading a staunch defensive front against a team with a strong perimeter offense. Jalen Williams, who missed most of the regular season due to injury, was shooting the lights out.
Then, in the third quarter, Williams went to the Thunder bench grabbing his hamstring. He was escorted to the locker room, and the complexion of this first-round series changed rapidly.
The Thunder are still poised to earn the sweep without Williams. But even if his absence is just a short-term one, Oklahoma City must use this opportunity to experiment with some of their rotation combinations in anticipation of what lies ahead.
Gilgeous-Alexander and breakout guard Ajay Mitchell, therefore, should see some more time on the court together in the coming games. Even if Williams returns in short order, it's a weapon the Thunder can utilize when they enter the trenches of the postseason.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell are among the Thunder's most effective two-man combinations
Mark Daigneault had to get creative this season when his team was ravaged with injuries. Thankfully, they had more than enough contributors step up into new roles to fill many of these gaps.
Mitchell was perhaps the season's most surprising storyline. Even though he was largely confined to a bench role, he averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while knocking down 34.7% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
These numbers are strong in and of themselves. But when he was on the court with Gilgeous-Alexander, either in the starting lineup or in a bench capacity, his impact was truly felt. During the 671 minutes both players were in action this season, the Thunder posted an offensive rating of 125.6 and a net rating of 18.5, per Databallr.
As strong as the starting five is, there are times when they can get bogged down and uncreative offensively. Combining the scoring acumen of Mitchell with the on-ball gravity of Gilgeous-Alexander can be a quick remedy for that.
Yet as the roster got back to full strength, this was a combination the Thunder went to less frequently.
It's not as though it's been completely put back in the holster. In their first game against Phoenix, the pair saw seven minutes on the court together. They also saw extensive run once Williams went out in Game 2.
But Daigneault has stated he wants to use this first-round matchup as an opportunity to experiment. With a two-game cushion and a massive hole in the starting lineup looming, now is the time to do so.
If Williams is out for only a short time, it will give the Thunder the opportunity to test out a combination they can go to when teams make adjustments against them defensively. If Williams suffers a more lengthy absence, the combination of Mitchell and Gilgeous-Alexander could prove to be a saving grace offensively.
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