In a preseason NBA Finals rematch against the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder guards Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe suffered injuries that ended their night in the first half of a 116-101 loss. Mitchell got the nod to start after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made his preseason debut against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. Ajay went off for 16 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting, three assists, and two steals before halftime.
Joe played only six minutes off the bench before limping off the court due to a knee injury. He finished with four points and one assist. It's a disappointing setback for the seven-year guard who connected on 5-of-8 threes en route to a 19-point performance in the Thunder's 122-116 win against the Hornets. Isaiah Joe is one of head coach Mark Daigneault's reliable scorers off the bench.
He averaged 10.2 points on 44% shooting, including 41.2% from deep, as Joe has maintained a 40% or better shooting clip since joining Oklahoma City ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
At the same time, coming back from a left ankle injury, Mitchell suffered the same exact injury when his left ankle rolled after landing on rookie Brooks Barnhizer's foot in Saturday's game. The 2024 second-round pick emerged from the end of Daigneault's bench last season. In a minimal role, Ajay Mitchell stepped up whenever his name was called, a big reason why he didn't play a single game in the G League.
He averaged 6.5 points on 49.5% shooting, including 38.3% from three, 1.8 assists, and 0.7 steals per game throughout his rookie season for the Thunder.
Stan Van Gundy warns Thunder ahead of potential title repeat
NBC on Prime broadcaster Stan Van Gundy warned the champion Thunder about the upcoming season and how different it will be compared to 2024-25.
“The one thing that really is different is that during their rise to the top and throughout last season, that excitement factor that you faced every day has changed,” Gundy told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “It is definitely a huge mental struggle that the Thunder will go through… The other problem you have is that on the way up, everybody is just happy to be a part of it, with the team winning and finding success.”
For some teams, supporting players start wanting an increased role, which isn't something Van Gundy thinks will happen to the Thunder, but is something it should guard against.
