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. Lu Dort's four threes helped the Thunder win. However, Dort has also helped Mitchell find his way off the bench in a prominent role for head coach Mark Daigneault.
Mitchell mentioned Dort as one of the three Thunder players who've helped mold him into a better defender when discussing what's led to such an impactful start in his second season.
“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.”
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.
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.
Lu Dort shares powerful insight on Thunder's confidence
After beating the Kings, Thunder's Lu Dort discussed how his team's confidence 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.
“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.”
The Thunder is on a seven-game winning streak.
