The Oklahoma City Thunder entered a bit of a slump prior to the All-Star Break. This was largely a result of the extensive injuries the squad suffered.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has not played since Feb. 2. Jalen Williams returned to action before the break, only to be sidelined in their final game against the Milwaukee Bucks with a re-aggravated hamstring. Ajay Mitchell has been out since Jan. 21 with an oblique strain.
Needless to say, these are three very important players to the Thunder. When they return, their rotation will regain much of the depth that has made them so potent this season.
Yet Oklahoma City will also have a series of questions to answer at that time. More specifically, Mitchell took over bench unit ball-handling duties over the first half of the season. With how trade deadline acquisition Jared McCain has looked so far, the Thunder will need to use the rest of the season to determine how they want to structure their bench heading into the playoffs.
It could result in a rude awakening for Mitchell.
Ajay Mitchell will still need to earn his minutes when he returns
Bench depth has been the Thunder's strength through this remarkable two-season run. Their acquisition of McCain at the deadline was meant to bolster this depth. It was an upside swing, made with the assumption that McCain could return to the level of creativity and scoring prowess he showed at the beginning of his rookie season.
So far, it's paid off. It naturally took him a few games to get acclimated. But in his final two showings before the All-Star Break, McCain averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while knocking down 44.4% of his shots from 3-point range. He played a combined 46 minutes between those two games.
Mitchell's break-out sophomore campaign, meanwhile, has been well-documented. Through his first 43 games this season, he's averaged 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while converting 35% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Mitchell is clearly the more trusted ball-handler, but McCain presents more upside as a microwave scorer and a spot-up shooter. For now, both players are more than capable of being on the court together.
But when the playoffs roll around and rotations tighten, Oklahoma City Thunder will need to make a real choice as to what skill-set they prefer off the bench. As of now, the choice is pretty clearly Mitchell.
The Thunder still have 22 games left in the season, however. Mitchell will need to use this time to cement himself once again as the team's primary sixth-man option.