<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-ajay-mitchell-reveals-russell-westbrook-impact-his-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell reveals Russell Westbrook’s impact on his game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Kings-guard-Russell-Westbrook_ebd6af.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell reveals Russell Westbrook’s impact on his game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-21T11:20:28-08:00">November 21st, 11:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-21T11:20:28-08:00">November 21st, 11:20am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>OKLAHOMA CITY — Before Oklahoma City Thunder guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-ajay-mitchell-name-drops-3-teammates-deserve-flowers-breakout-season">Ajay Mitchell named three teammates who influenced</a> his breakout season, he addressed an old picture, while explaining Russell Westbrook’s impact on him as a kid. A picture of Mitchell in a Kevin Durant Thunder jersey as a kid resurfaced on social media amid Ajay’s impressive season.</p><p>After playing against Westbrook, a former Thunder All-Star, Mitchell <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1991388334787293422" rel="noopener">reacted to the old picture</a> before a reporter asked if Russell was a player Ajay looked up to as a kid.</p><p>“For sure,” Mitchell replied. “That picture was crazy, by the way. For me, when I got drafted and I saw that picture, I was like, that’s a sign. But, Russ, obviously, is a great player, the way he competes every single night, and the way he did with OKC, I think, obviously, for me, it was a motto. He’s a great player. It’s always fun to be able to play against guys like that.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"That picture was crazy… when I got drafted and I saw that picture, I was like that's a sign."</p><p>Ajay Mitchell on the viral photo of him wearing an OKC jersey and why Russell Westbrook is a role model to him. <a href="https://t.co/k0qe0HRUNG">pic.twitter.com/k0qe0HRUNG</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1991388334787293422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Mitchell’s 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting and a perfect 5-for-5 free throws led the Thunder’s bench production. Much like Russell Westbrook did in his heyday, Ajay also finished with six assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Mitchell continues to be a spark plug for coach Mark Daigneault. Starting in place of an injured Lu Dort, he has stepped in as a facilitator who defends at a high level for the Thunder.</p><p>He’s also blossomed as a secondary scorer who’s recorded at least four 20+ point performances, including a 26-point career high in a 141-135 double-overtime win against the Indiana Pacers, in one month.</p><h2><b>Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell’s hot start changes teams’ approach</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-guard-Ajay-Mitchell_c68f06.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thunder second-year guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-how-ajay-mitchell-hot-start-changed-how-teams-approach-him">Ajay Mitchell’s hot start changed opposing teams’ approach</a> to defending him, according to coach Mark Daigneault. From being added to the scouting report to being game-planned for, Mitchell has changed how teams defend the Thunder.</p><p>After Wednesday’s 113-99 win against the Kings, Mitchell reacted to Daigneault’s take on how opposing teams defend Mitchell and the Thunder.</p><p>“Obviously, the game plan one is a big one, and I think it’s really good for me,” Mitchell said. “It gives me opportunities to figure out some different ways to impact the game. I’m really happy that it’s changing. It gives me the opportunity to learn and keep growing as a player.”</p><p>The Thunder will go for 16-1 when it faces the Jazz on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell reveals Russell Westbrook’s impact on his game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-ajay-mitchell-name-drops-3-teammates-deserve-flowers-breakout-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ajay Mitchell name drops 3 Thunder teammates who deserve flowers for his breakout season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-guard-Ajay-Mitchell_901884.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Ajay Mitchell name drops 3 Thunder teammates who deserve flowers for his breakout season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-20T11:43:47-08:00">November 20th, 11:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-20T11:43:47-08:00">November 20th, 11:43am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder second-year guard Ajay Mitchell credited three of his teammates for the advice and guidance that led to his breakout start to the regular season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-mark-daigneault-celebrates-lu-dort-3-point-barrage-kings">Lu Dort’s four threes helped the Thunder win</a>. However, Dort has also helped Mitchell find his way off the bench in a prominent role for head coach Mark Daigneault.</p><p>Mitchell mentioned Dort as one of the three Thunder <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rEWuLb7e_0&amp;t=169s" rel="noopener">players who’ve helped mold him</a> into a better defender when discussing what’s led to such an impactful start in his second season.</p><p>“I think just having a year under my belt, knowing the game a little more, and then learning from my teammates is the biggest thing,” Mitchell said. “We have guys like Lu, [Cason], Caruso; those guys are great defenders, and being able to be with them every day, see what they do, last year, when I was hurt, seeing how they impacted the game, it really helped me come out this year, and kind of figure out a way to be impactful on that end.”</p><p>Mitchell finished with 13 points on 4-of-10 attempts and went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. He also finished with six assists, two steals, and one block. With Dort back in the lineup, Mitchell has anchored the Thunder’s second unit with consistent production. He’s averaging 16.1 points, 3.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.</p><p>It’s a tremendous leap from the 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 28.2 minutes per game that Ajay Mitchell averaged throughout his rookie season with the Thunder. It’ll be fascinating to see the kinds of strides Ajay will continue to make in his sophomore campaign.</p><h2><b>Lu Dort shares powerful insight on Thunder’s confidence</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-guard-Lu-Dort-2-1.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After beating the Kings, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-lu-dort-shares-powerful-insight-confidence-amid-15-1-start">Thunder’s Lu Dort discussed how his team’s confidence</a> has been a catalyst for its 15-1 start to the regular season. For Dort, the magnitude of the Thunder’s focus is evident in his teammates’ eyes.</p><p>“We are really comfortable and confident. I feel like that comes from a lot of guys, and that’s big,” Dort said. “Whenever you go to a game and you know the whole team is confident and fearless — it’s big. And every time, in the locker room, before a game, you see that in everybody’s eyes.”</p><p>The Thunder is on a seven-game winning streak.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ajay Mitchell name drops 3 Thunder teammates who deserve flowers for his breakout season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-how-ajay-mitchell-hot-start-changed-how-teams-approach-him');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell’s hot start has changed how teams approach him');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-guard-Ajay-Mitchell_fc484e.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell’s hot start has changed how teams approach him</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-17T15:01:37-08:00">November 17th, 3:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-17T15:01:37-08:00">November 17th, 3:01pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>From being the hunters to the hunted, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell is feeling the difference on a personal level in 2025-26. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/ajay-mitchell-5-most-jaw-dropping-surprises-start-2025-26-nba-season">Mitchell is having one of the most surprising starts</a> in the NBA this season. From a third-string guard to one of the Thunder’s main facilitators, Ajay’s ascension has head coach Mark Daigneault telling reporters that the 2024 second-round pick has elevated in opposing teams’ scouting reports.</p><p>Amid the Thunder’s 13-1 start, Mitchell has evolved <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYFd0gz-SWo&amp;t=5s" rel="noopener">as one of the critical players</a> opposing teams focus on slowing down heading into a matchup against the defending champions.</p><p>“He’s getting game-planned for now. And there’s a difference between being on the scouting report and being game-planned for,” Daigneault explained. “There’s adjustments that teams are making to what makes him effective, and that’s how you get better as a player. You, first of all, establish yourself as a good player, and then, as teams try to take away certain things, you have to develop layers to your game.</p><p>“He’s done that already, but we’ll have to continue to do that to continue to improve, and we’re confident that he will,” Daigneault concluded.</p><p>Mitchell finished with 14 points on 6-for-15 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, one block, and one steal in Saturday’s 109-96 win against the Charlotte Hornets. He’s averaging 16.7 points on 45.7% shooting, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.8 steals in 28.3 minutes per game for the Thunder this season, as Mitchell’s breakout season marches on.</p><p>For a player who averaged 6.5 points in 16.6 minutes his rookie season, Mitchell has scored in double figures in 13 of 14 games, including a career-high 26 points in a 141-135 double-overtime win against the Indiana Pacers. He also scored 21 points twice in four days, including dishing a career-high 10 assists in a 132-101 win against the Sacramento Kings.</p><h2><b>Thunder winning despite injuries is a testament to roster depth</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-guard-Ajay-Mitchell-2_20f80c.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell’s breakout start is a testament to the defending champion’s roster depth amid All-Star Jalen Williams’ absence. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-why-12-1-start-best-nba-analyst-ever-seen">Thunder remain near-perfect throughout a historic beginning</a>, which has NBA analyst Chris Mannix calling it the best start he’s ever seen.</p><p>Without All-Defensive players such as Lu Dort and Williams, the Thunder has prevailed, with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktjHHK5g964" rel="noopener">young players</a> such as Mitchell, leading the charge, Mannix said, per Open Floor: SI’s NBA Show.</p><p>“This is the most impressive start to a season that I have ever seen because of those circumstances,” Mannix said. “I wondered coming in would this team be able to level up. I knew they were going to get better organically, but they have leveled up across the board. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks a little bit better. Chet Holmgren looks a little bit better. Ajay Mitchell, we talked about him a little bit, looks like the Most Improved Player out of nowhere.”</p><p>The Thunder will look to go 14-1 when it faces the Pelicans on Monday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell’s hot start has changed how teams approach him

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/ajay-mitchell-5-most-jaw-dropping-surprises-start-2025-26-nba-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ajay Mitchell and the 5 most jaw-dropping surprises to start 2025-26 NBA season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ajay-Mitchell-and-the-5-most-jaw-dropping-surprises-to-start-2025-26-NBA-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Ajay Mitchell and the 5 most jaw-dropping surprises to start 2025-26 NBA season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-16T10:21:38-08:00">November 16th, 10:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-16T10:21:38-08:00">November 16th, 10:21am</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Basketball is a star-driven sport. A lot of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-top-100-player-rankings-2025-26-season-50-11">best players in the NBA</a> have been doing their thing for quite some time now. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-longest-careers-history">LeBron James, for example, has been in the NBA for a record 23 seasons</a>.</p><p>Despite the presence of proven stars, talent emerges out of nowhere every season. During the early part of the 2025-26 season, in particular, there have been a number of unheralded players who have broken onto the scene.</p><p>Check out the gallery to see the five best pleasant surprises of the NBA’s young campaign so far.</p><h2><b>5. Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Deni-Avdija.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Deni Avdija started to look like a star late last season. After the All-Star break, Avdija averaged 23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. However, numbers can get wonky late in the season, so a lot of fans weren’t fully convinced, and Avdija wasn’t yet established as a star coming into the year.</p><p>Now, there is no choice but to accept Avdija’s brilliance. He is up to 25.8 points per game and will legitimately contend for an All-Star spot. Avdija was once thought of as a jack of all trades and a master of none, but he is pretty great at numerous aspects of basketball.</p><p>He has thrived despite being forced to lead a team that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-chauncey-billups-arrested-terry-rozier-fbi-sports-gambling-probe">lost its coach, Chauncey Billups</a>, at the start of the season because of an illegal gambling scandal.</p><h2><b>4. Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Alex-Sarr.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last season, Alex Sarr was viewed as somewhat of a disappointment in an overall underwhelming rookie class. The No. 2 overall pick was top six among his <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2024.html" rel="noopener">first-year peers</a> in minutes, points, assists, and rebounds. However, he didn’t look like he’d become the star that the Washington Wizards needed.</p><p>Sarr has looked much better in year two, averaging 19.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. His athletic prowess is impressive for a big man, and it translates to transition points and great inside-outside defense.</p><p>Sarr is fun, as is the rest of Washington’s young core. The team is still developing, and they’ll likely lose a lot of games this year, but Sarr is headed in the right direction and looks capable of leading this franchise.</p><h2><b>3. Keyonte George, Utah Jazz</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Keyonte-George.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Utah Jazz have outperformed expectations at times in recent years, largely because they have a number of unheralded players. Keyonte George is one such player who doesn’t get the credit he deserves. George is an effective playmaker (7.1 assists per game), and he balances his game with improved scoring marks (21.3 points per game).</p><p>George gets downhill effectively at will on the offensive end. When he pressures the rim, he can score inside, but if the defense collapses, he thrives at getting his teammates involved. At the pace he is at, it could very well culminate in a Most Improved Player award at season’s end.</p><h2><b>2. Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ryan-Rollins.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ryan Rollins joined the Milwaukee Bucks last season. It was the third team he’d play for in as many seasons. Rollins was a bust during his previous stops with the Golden State Warriors and the Wizards. It looked like he wasn’t long for the NBA, but he started to show signs of life with the Bucks last season.</p><p>This year, he has really burst onto the scene. Rollins is averaging 16.9 points per game and shooting the deep ball at a 45.7% clip. Rollins’ calling card is defense, though. He is a pesky defender who thrives in the point-of-attack. The Bucks are more of a threat than originally anticipated, and Rollins’ development from a nearly out-of-the-league player to a solid starter alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo is a big reason why.</p><h2><b>1. Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ajay-Mitchell.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Oklahoma City Thunder’s rebuild, which led to a championship victory last season, has been so successful because the Thunder find players who fit their system, and they turn them into elite role players. Ajay Mitchell is the latest success story of the Thunder’s talent evaluation and player development program.</p><p>The team has had and will continue having a surplus of first-round picks, but Mitchell was a second-round selection last year. He didn’t play much of a role during the Thunder’s championship run, but he has stepped up to be their sixth man so far and the results have been a pleasant surprise.</p><p>Mitchell is averaging 16.7 points per game, the third most on a deep team loaded with talent. The Thunder have reaped the rewards, as despite the fact that they’ve <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunders-jalen-williams-undergoes-another-wrist-procedure">been without Jalen Williams,</a> they still only have one loss on the season thus far.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ajay Mitchell and the 5 most jaw-dropping surprises to start 2025-26 NBA season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-ajay-mitchell-earns-jalen-brunson-comparison-bill-simmons-hot-start');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell earns Jalen Brunson comparison from Bill Simmons after hot start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-guard-Ajay-Mitchell_75b9ba.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell earns Jalen Brunson comparison from Bill Simmons after hot start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-14T06:58:46-08:00">November 14th, 6:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-14T06:58:46-08:00">November 14th, 6:58am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As Oklahoma City Thunder’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-ajay-mitchell-breakout-first-week-him-firmly-most-improved-player-race">Ajay Mitchell continues his eye-opening start</a> to the 2025-26 regular season, he’s drawn early consideration for the Most Improved Player award and comparisons to New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons sees a young Brunson in Mitchell. Reflecting on Brunson’s early years with the Dallas Mavericks, could we see a similar storyline in Ajay’s future?</p><p>Brunson, who went from Luka Doncic’s backup to starting alongside him in the Mavericks’ backcourt, blossomed into someone the Knicks trusted to be the focal point of their offense, and Jalen became an All-Star in his second season in New York.</p><p>Simmons wonders if we’re seeing history repeat itself in Mitchell and the Thunder, as he discussed on The Bill Simmons Podcast.</p><p>“The way he’s playing reminds me a little of when Brunson was on Dallas,” Simmons said. “Brunson had this stretch on those Dallas team where you’d watch him and be like, is this guy really good or am I crazy? Could this guy be the lead guard on a really good team, or am I crazy? And you just watch him. He was like this finished product, and he was kind of this luxury on the side for the Mavs.</p><p>“And I just wonder, with Mitchell, I’m sure these other GMs are looking at this Thunder team, going there’s no way they’re going to be able to pay all these guys.”</p><p>The Thunder will have to make some tough decisions sometime down the road.</p><p>“They’re going to be able to pay Cason Wallace $30 million a year. They’re not going to be able to pay Mitchell in a couple of years,” Simmons added. “So, I’m sure all these other teams must be scavengers, like, could we build an offense around Ajay Mitchell? It seems absurd, but who knows? The Brunson thing seemed absurd.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRBimHwkUl4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p></p></a></div></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Ajay Mitchell ascends to  an elite defender for Thunder</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-guard-Ajay-Mitchell-2.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ever since Thunder guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-ajay-mitchell-earns-dynamic-praise-standout-summer-league-opener">Ajay Mitchell stole headlines amid Summer League</a> for his exponential growth, he hasn’t stopped.</p><p>“I did not know he could shoot the ball this effectively from deep,” Legler said. “The guy’s making everything from the perimeter. He’s got a burst to accelerate past you. He’s got an incredibly strong base.</p><p>“He’s incredibly strong, and by the way, Ajay Mitchell is the second-highest rated individual defensive player in the NBA. Guys make 30 percent of the shots against him that he contests.”</p><p>Mitchell is averaging 16.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
16.1	3.7	3.8	0.3	1.8

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
16.1	3.7	3.8	0.3	1.8

Ajay Mitchell

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