Chet Holmgren saw potential in this player before his NBA days

After defeating the Golden State Warriors 124-112 to extend the season Oklahoma City ThunderA 13-game winning streak, starting from the front Chet Holmgren reveals he’s seen potential in Ajay Mitchell since before they were teammates. As the defending champions improved to a league-leading 21-1, Mitchell helped the Thunder in a close gamestarting with Lou Dort.

He finished with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal as Mitchell’s defense helped keep the Warriors within striking distance after Golden State erased a 22-point deficit. After the win, Chet Holmgren spoke as he saw it for the first time Mitchell before the 2024 NBA Draft, where Ajayi was selected 38th overall in the second round by the Thunder.

“I’ve been a fan of Ajayi since before the season last year. And just playing in late summer pickup. And being in the gym and around him, I can tell he’s a fan — he’s a worker,” Holmgren said. “I saw him a little bit when he was in college, just because I was doing the pre-draft. Most of the time I worked out at the same college he went to. But I was never in the gym firsthand with him until he got here. Incredibly talented, great kid, like everybody in the locker room.

“Awesome guy. I didn’t mean to call him a kid. I’m happy to hang out with him. The crazy part is: And he’s just going to keep getting better. We’ve got a lot of guys who still have room for improvement — myself included. And I think that’s a great thing,” Holmgren concluded.

Holmgren added 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Shai Giljus-Alexander led the way with 38 points and four assists.

Ajay Mitchell on Thunder’s close game amid near-perfect start

While the thunders guard Ajay Mitchell likes to beat teams by 30 pointshe knows that tight games will make his team even stronger. Mitchell addressed the contrast between lopsided and biting finishes after the Thunder’s 123-115 win over the Blazers.

“Personally, I’d like to win every game by about 30 if we can, but there’s a lot to learn in close games,” Mitchell said. “And there’s a way to fight through what’s going on, especially when things don’t go our way. It’s a great opportunity to get better as a team and find a way. So I think those games are very important for us.”

Mitchell is averaging 15.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game this season.