The OKC Thunder officially eliminated the Phoenix Suns from the postseason on Monday via a four-game sweep, making it the third-straight season where they've breezed past the first round in such fashion.
On top of this, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted his second-straight 30-plus-point performance, Chet Holmgren's offensive production came back to life, and guys like Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, and Lu Dort all played sensational defense en route to the club's 131-122 win.
And yet, among all of these tremendous individual and team-wide accomplishments, it is the truly astonishing individual impact Ajay Mitchell has on this team that should have fans elated and opposing squads absolutely terrified of Oklahoma City moving forward.
Ajay Mitchell further proves himself to be a star on the rise for Thunder
Just the other day, big man Jaylin Williams admitted to reporters that he and the rest of the Thunder are continuously learning about and "are still amazed by how good" Mitchell is on the hardwood.
Simply put, it's because the point guard somehow manages to improve his game with every passing day.
Even coming into the playoffs, Mitchell had already established himself as a top-flight contributor for the defending champions thanks to his highly efficient, all-around style of play.
From his career-best averages of 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game to the sheer fact that OKC had lost just one game with him in the starting five this season, the 23-year-old has been a net positive all year long.
It's no wonder he managed to finish in the top-five for Sixth Man of the Year votes.
Now, with the pressure and stakes at their highest, and with him being tasked to fill in for All-NBA forward Jalen Williams in the first five lineup while he nurses a left hamstring strain, it's become painfully obvious that Mitchell is far more than just a mere role player -- he's a star on the rise.
In 29.3 minutes a night against the Suns, Mitchell went on to drop 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 45.0 percent from beyond the arc and wrapping up with the second-best plus-minus on the Thunder throughout the series at plus-18.3.
In their close-out win on Monday, he would finish with a whopping 22 points on 66.7 percent shooting from distance while tacking on six assists and four boards, while clocking in with the highest plus-minus on the game at a ridiculous plus-27.
Add all this to the fact that the Thunder rank in the the 99 percentile in both points per 100 possessions and point differential when both he and Gilgeous-Alexander share the floor, and that they are now 17-1 in all of 2025-26 with Mitchell in the starting rotation, and there's no doubt that this already title-tested team has gotten even better with the sophomore now breaking onto the scene.
Considering he's on a depreciating contract through 2027-28 with a max salary cap percentage of 1.94, the rest of the league shouldn't be expecting to see this rising stud leaving the already dynasty-pushing Thunder club any time soon.
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