Thunder strike gold yet again by unearthing one of the NBA's best rookie talents

This past summer, the OKC Thunder stockpiled their player pool with several talent upgrades. From signing big man Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency to striking on a trade for elite 3-and-D veteran Alex Caruso, the ball club's offseason was already tabbed as one of the best in the entire association.

However, 17 games into the 2024-25 campaign, it appears that Oklahoma City may have managed to acquire another noteworthy contributor without bringing the initial fanfare and recognition that the aforementioned names did.

Ajay Mitchell, the 38 overall selection during this past June's NBA Draft, has been a true under-the-radar player within coach Mark Daigneault's scheme during these early stages of the season.

A product of injury-induced opportunities, this short-handed Thunder team has called upon their two-way guard to step up and take on some serious minutes within the rotation.

To the delight of the franchise's faithful followers, the rookie has risen to the occasion.

Rookie Ajay Mitchell projects as yet another hidden gem for OKC Thunder

While his mere per-game counting stats may not blow you away, as he's posting averages of 5.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, it's the effectiveness and efficiency with which he's producing that warrants serious attention.

In 16.3 minutes per game, Mitchell is shooting 50.0 percent from distance and 51.9 percent overall from the field, which ranks second and fourth among rookies who have hoisted at least 60 total shots on the season.

What makes this usage all the more impressive is the fact that, while using these particular stipulations, he is the only player ranked in the top five in field goal percentage who was not a first-round selected talent.

On top of these traditional statistics, when diving into the advanced metrics Mitchell clearly seems to stand out among his first-year peers, as he ranks 12 in offensive rating (107.0), first in defensive rating (95.8), and first in overall net rating (11.2) among rookies who have played in 12 or more games.

Now, as Thunder fans are almost certainly aware, Sam Presti and company finding a hidden gem via the draft is far from an abnormality.

Since taking the reigns of the organization back in 2007, the storied GM has hit on a slew of latter-selected ballers. From oldies like Segre Ibaka's addition with the third-to-last pick in the first round back in 2008 to the more recent success story that has been the 55 pick in the 2021 draft, Aaron Wiggins, Presti's scouting track record is quite enviable.

Now, Ajay Mitchell could very well be on his way toward joining this admirable trend, as his early-season production suggests he's shaping up to be yet another example of this Thunder front office striking gold right before our very eyes.