When the Oklahoma City Thunder needed them the most, two-way rookie Ajay Mitchell and forward Aaron Wiggins stepped up.
First, they started against the Hornets. Then, in a road/home back-to-back setting, the two also came up big off the bench against the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the game against the Hornets, the Thunder were missing key players Alex Caruso, Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace, and Chet Holmgren. The next-man-up mentality was well in play.
The Thunder beat the Hornets 106-94 on Saturday night, and Mitchell and Wiggins were crucial to the victory. The Thunder then obliterated the Grizzlies 130-106 the following night, a game in which Mitchell and Wiggins delivered stellar performances off the bench.
Head coach Mark Daigneault said before the Hornets game that it was an opportunity for rotational Thunder players to get back into game shape. Jaylin Williams, for example, hit three shots from behind the arc in his third game of the season.
With so many young guys getting tick, lets take a look at how the bench duo of Mitchell and Wiggins have embraced the “next man up” mentality.
Ajay Mitchell
In his first career start, the Santa Barbara alum Mitchell took full advantage. Completely stuffing the stat sheet, Mitchell scored 10 points, dished four assists, and grabbed five boards.
He followed that performance with a career-high 17 points against Memphis. The rookie’s time on a Two-Way deal may be coming to an end.
Mitchell is averaging 8.3 points per game during the Thunder’s 11-game win streak while shooting 60.3/55.6/84.6 splits. Showing immense impact despite only playing 17 minutes on average, Mitchell is the perfect backup guard for Daigneault’s system.
Teammate Isaiah Hartenstein said that Mitchell is “very mature for a rookie.” That maturity is starting to show on both ends of the court. Mitchell has earned every opportunity he has had, consistently working hard to improve and contribute to wins. His coach agrees.
Mitchell has started to gain notice for his play nationally. He was in the top 10 of the most recent NBA rookie ladder, and Thunder fans believe he should be in the top five.
Aaron Wiggins
On Friday night, Wiggins’ high school retired his jersey number, and the entire team and former teammate Tre Mann came to support him. The next night, Wiggins scored a season-high 17 points and was crucial in the Thunder’s victory.
He hit three three-pointers and grabbed four rebounds on top of the season-high output in points. That was icing on the cake of a great weekend for the fourth-year forward out of Maryland.
Wiggins appreciates the support from his team and family, and Daigneault respects how much the team supports him. The support means the world to him.
A flight back to Oklahoma City did not slow him down. He continued his scoring outburst with a 16-point effort against Memphis. He also tallied two steals in the contest.
Wiggins might use this stretch of games to break out of the slump he had been in. His 60% shooting mark against Charlotte is the highest he’s had since Nov. 27 against the Warriors. This stretch should give him the confidence to return to his usual efficiency.
I asked Wiggins about his bond with Tre Mann and how essential friendships like that are, even when they are no longer teammates. He responded by saying Mann is one of his “dawgs,” a relationship that formed after they met at the NBA Combine.
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Wiggins continued to say that Mann is someone he can call more than a teammate and a true friend. Mann was in the midst of a breakout season with Charlotte before injuries slowed it down.
As for Wiggins and Mitchell, they have been the beneficiaries of injuries to some of their teammates. Though you never want to see players sidelined, it gives Thunder fans some peace of mind knowing that Mitchell and Wiggins can hop into the starting lineup when needed. It’s a long season, and being able to rely on 2nd rounders for quality minutes is a blessing that few teams are afforded.
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