The Thunder guard is adjusting to the shorter injury report.
Oklahoma City is getting closer to its full form, and that means a reduced role for one of its most important players of the early season. Coming into the 2025-26 campaign, the Thunder had a plethora of injuries and couldn’t manage to find much consistent help as players came in and out of the lineup to begin the season.
Yet, Ajay Mitchell was able to carve out a role and be a nice surprise as a reliable option to begin his second season. Throughout the season, Mitchell’s numbers have been quite impressive, but his stats are in position to decrease substantially as the team gets healthier. With Jalen Williams out for the first few weeks of the season, Mitchell often acted as the team’s second scoring option behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander alongside Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. While it’s clear that Holmgren and Hartenstein won’t have any issues maintaining their status as top options for the Thunder, Mitchell is beginning to see his role get reduced amid Williams’ return. In Friday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, Mitchell scored nine points in 24 minutes on the floor. While he is still getting plenty of playing time and his minutes haven’t dropped off much since Williams’ return, Mitchell’s usage has clearly taken a hit. Nov 15, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Over the first 17 games of the season, Mitchell took at least 10 shots in all but one game. Yet, he hasn’t hit that mark once in the past six contests, four of those coming after Williams’ return. While it might seem a bit concerning to see Mitchell’s role get reduced after such a hot start to the season, the Thunder still have a better idea of what he could potentially provide in a high-stakes setting. Last season, Mitchell’s recovery from injury kept him from entering the playoff rotation after being a solid role player in the first half of his rookie year. Now with a new contract and plenty of early-season reps under his belt, Mitchell has shown that he could give the Thunder an occasional outburst while being a smart, under-control player regardless of his role. With injuries and missed time for key players sure to happen over the course of the 82-game season again, Mitchell will likely have to step back into an expanded role from time to time. Although it would be ideal for the Thunder to give Mitchell more minutes and more shots, it’s a luxury for Oklahoma City to know it has someone like him ready to step into any role and excel at any given moment.Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered the OKC Thunder since 2022 and covers OSU athletics for The O’Colly.
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