Evaluating Thunder’s Pair Of Rookies Following Five-Game Summer League Sample.
With Dillon Jones and Ajay Mitchell officially being shut down for the remainder of NBA Summer League, we’re left with a five-game sample for both of the incoming rookies to evaluate ahead of the 2023-24 season. The next time this duo takes the floor will be in the preseason, meaning the three games in Salt Lake City and two in Las Vegas are all they’ll get before the level of competition rises and the stakes get higher.
How did Jones and Michell fare during summer league, and what themes have emerged surrounding each of them?
Jones will have a real chance to play NBA minutes in the upcoming season after being selected No. 26 overall in June’s draft. Although a bit of a tweener positionally, he fits what Oklahoma City is looking to do from a positional versatility standpoint.
Through five summer league games, Jones averaged 13.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest. His scoring production was inconsistent, converting on just 29.2% of his triples and 40.7% of his shots overall.
In either case, Jones’ confidence and mindset are already where they need to be, which is a huge step in the right direction for a young player in this league.
“Dillon stays aggressive, as he should,” said Ajay Mitchell of his rookie colleague in Las Vegas. “I think he’s doing a good job in always staying positive.”
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At 6-foot-6, Jones could play any position on the floor for the Thunder this season. This should be advantageous for him, given he has the ability to be a primary handler of the ball while also possessing the size and strength to play in the frontcourt. He’s the best positional rebounder in this entire rookie class and is also an underrated passer. For Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, fitting Jones into a lineup will be very simple given the various ways he can play.
In the modern NBA, it’s all about how many different ways a player can impact winning. That’s why Jones has the best chance of nearly any rookie in this class to stick, as his skillset is very diverse with the ability to make an impact in several different ways depending on what is needed from him on a given night.
The perimeter jumper will be his biggest swing skill, which is something Jones struggled with this summer. With one of the best shooting coaches in the NBA in Chip Engelland on staff, he couldn’t have landed with a better franchise to improve his jumper. Of any player who took the floor this summer — including Ousmane Dieng — Jones has the best shot at earning minutes in the upcoming regular season.
2024 NBA Salt Lake City Summer League – Oklahoma City Thunder v Utah Jazz
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 9: Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket … [+]GETTY IMAGES
Although on a two-way deal for the upcoming season, Mitchell proved during NBA Summer League that he has what it takes to potentially be converted to a full-time contract as early as the 2024-25 campaign. The No. 38 overall pick in the recent draft did as much as Oklahoma City could have asked for over the past week and a half.
In his five games split between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, Mitchell averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 40% from beyond the arc. He also converted on better than 53% of his shots from the field while generating nearly two steals per game.
Entering the NBA, Mitchell was a proven offensive engine. Not only did he score 20 points per game in his final college season, but he also flashed incredible upside as a passer. That’s proven true in summer league, as his aggressive on-ball play has been extremely impressive. The smooth lefty has been able to score at all three levels, while also facilitating for others when needed.
“He’s always going to create for others. He always does a good job of touching the paint,” said Daniel Dixon — OKC’s NBA Summer League coach — on Monday. “He’s able to see different things and make different reads while being aggressive. He creates for others a lot.”
But what really shined in his five NBA Summer League games was his point of attack defense. Mitchell was effective picking up his man full-court and forcing the opposing offense to set up in uncomfortable ways. Although he didn’t force turnovers every time down, Mitchell was great at disrupting the tempo of the lead guard he was defending.
“It’s a challenge from the team but also from myself. I really wanted to show that,” said Mitchell of his defense during NBA Summer League earlier this week.
He’s not the biggest player, but at 6-foot-4 Mitchell has the motor and discipline to be an impactful on-ball defender. This is what could be the difference in his ability to earn NBA minutes as a rookie.
Inconsistency is expected with any rookie playing their first NBA minutes, but both Jones and Mitchell overall had tremendous showings in NBA Summer League. Although the Thunder will still play two more games in Las Vegas, neither will be taking the floor again. They’ll now have a couple of months to continue developing their game before the preseason kicks off.
