During these early stages of the 2025-26 season, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell has been turning heads with his sensational production.
With the likes of Jalen Williams (wrist) and Chet Holmgren (back) both missing substantial time through this point due to injuries, the sophomore has stepped up in a major way to make up for their absence in the scoring department.
The results have been truly remarkable, as Mitchell finds himself lighting it up with 17.3 points per game, the third-best mark on the team.
However, perhaps lost in the excitement surrounding his clearly improved bucket-getting abilities is a particular skill set that proves he's both an extremely well-rounded baller and, more importantly, a sure-fire member of this Thunder core moving forward.
Ajay Mitchell proves value to Thunder with yet another career milestone
It's always said that the best players in the NBA are those who can find a way to positively impact the game for their team, even when they may be struggling in their main areas of expertise.
Mitchell did exactly this during Oklahoma City's matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
In a game where his shot simply wasn't falling (10 points on 2-for-8 shooting), the 23-year-old leaned into more of a floor general mindset, where he dished out a career-high eight assists, which, in turn, translated to 21 points for OKC.
Despite his lackluster scoring production, Mitchell's ability to shift his focus elsewhere to help the Thunder ultimately proved successful, as he finished tied for the second-best plus-minus rating on the night at +19 in a 137-106 blowout win.
Following a standout rookie season that saw him rank fifth in three-point percentage (38.3) and first in defensive rating (100.0) among his first-year peers who saw 30 or more games played, it was already well understood that the Santa Barbara product had the makings of becoming a quality 3&D contributor in the NBA.
Now, through seven games played in year two, Mitchell has shown himself to have far more potential than simply becoming a mere role player.
Instead, he's shaping up to be a legitimate threat to take home the 2026 Most Improved Player award and is making a case for why he deserves to be viewed as a long-term staple in this dynasty-hopeful Thunder rotation.
With every passing game, Mitchell continues to strengthen his claim to be known as the league's biggest bargain contract.
Sunday's performance against New Orleans was simply just the latest example of why.