Mark Patton: Huggable Ajay Mitchell Continues Breakout Basketball Season with Grand Performance | Sports

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had completed a perfect 55-point effort in the Result victory, but the NBA’s Most Valuable Player had one more point to score.

He wanted to embrace that moment — a double-overtime win over the Indiana Pacers in a rematch of the NBA finals finals — with one of his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates.

He quickly crossed the court and gathered Ajay Mitchell in his arms.

“Way to play,” Gilgeous-Alexander whispered in her ear. “You are a very good basketball player.”

Mitchell’s evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on October 23 was emotional from the opening tip.

When the former UC Santa Barbara Gaucho was asked about the best, 26-point night of his career, his thoughts focused on the hug that someone else had given him his entire life.

“Today was my grandmother’s birthday,” he replied during the postgame news conference. “She passed away a year ago, so coming tonight was a little special for me.

“I thought about him all night.”

Grandma Jenny was the one who kept an eye on him after school in Liège, Belgium, while her daughter Fabienne Wegmans was at work.

“She would do everything with him,” the Wegmans later told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “She was crazy about him. Really crazy about him.”

Grandma always made sure to ride shotgun whenever her daughter went to Michelle’s near and far games.

“She was always there for me,” he said. “She was definitely on my mind the whole night.

“I’m glad I got a chance to play for her like that. She means a lot to me, so I’m glad I did.”

Gilgeous-Alexander was also like this.

Asked about the hug after the game, he said, “I was proud of him.” “I was struggling at the end of the fourth and early in overtime, and he was carrying us.

“I was very happy for him.”

rolling Thunder

There is a very happy atmosphere in Oklahoma City and Belgium these days.

The defending NBA champion Thunder became only the fifth team in NBA history to earn at least 20 wins in their first 21 games by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 123-115 on Sunday.

Mitchell, who missed almost all of Friday’s game against Seattle with a knee injury, had 11 of 17 points and two of five assists in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win.

The former Gaucho point guard averaged 15.9 points on 46.4% shooting, 3.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game over the weekend.

“He’s been huge in some big games against really good teams,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s no surprise that he showed up in those moments, because that’s how he sees the game and how he works.”

As a sophomore, Mitchell led UCSB to the 2023 NCAA Tournament, winning Big West Conference Player of the Year honors.

He averaged 20 points and 4.0 assists as a junior the following year before entering the NBA draft.

But his emergence this season has taken most of the NBA by surprise.

The New York Knicks took him in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft with the 38th pick and then immediately traded him to Oklahoma City.

It looked like Mitchell was destined to have a season of development in the NBA’s G League when the Thunder signed him to a two-way contract.

But OKC officials knew what he had by the time last year’s training camp ended. He spent the entire season in the NBA.

“He was playing rotation minutes for a very deep team in the first game of the season last year,” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said.

He was impressed by how intensely Mitchell studied the game. The former Gaucho was a sponge during the team’s workouts.

“When you have to guard those guys and they attack you a certain way, you’re like, ‘Dang, OK, like I have to figure out how to do that when I’m on offense,'” Mitchell said. “Every day, just seeing what Shai does, what JDub (Jalen Williams) does… they’re really great players.

“Everyone on our team plays defense, so for me, the first thing I learned is that the way we play is you have to play defense. That helps me every day.

“I’m grateful to have that type of team that I can learn from everyone.”

huggable player

His Thunder teammates were immediately impressed by his efficient, even-keeled demeanor and characteristically humble demeanor.

In return, Michelle felt truly welcome. Gilgeous-Alexander’s embrace in Indianapolis touched him.

“It was nice to have that moment with him,” he said. “Seeing the confidence he has in me, it’s been fun for me to be able to go out and play with him on the court as well.”

Thunder officials fully embraced him midway through last season, despite a toe injury that sidelined him for three months.

The team provided some relief by upgrading his two-way deal to a regular NBA contract.

Mitchell only received spot minutes when he returned just in time for the playoffs.

However, the Thunder made their intentions clear for him by signing him to a new, three-year deal worth $8.7 million after the season ended.

After Mitchell was named to the NBA Pro Summer League Second Team after averaging 20 points at the Las Vegas event, league insiders were describing that contract as a bargain for the club.

“For anybody to be in a playoff race like this and get some minutes, sometimes spot minutes, it’s good for them,” Daigneault said. “Then he was able to take that knowledge into his summer.

“His body is really strong, he’s gotten tougher and better at his game, and he’s been playing great this year.”

Mitchell’s father, former Norfolk State star Barry Mitchell, won MVP honors in both the World Basketball League and the Continental Basketball Association – the predecessor to the G League – before establishing himself as a longtime star in Belgium.

But he could never join the NBA.

“It wasn’t planned for me at all,” said the elder Mitchell. “To see him go through this process and accomplish his dream, it’s almost like I’ve done it.

“I’m really happy for him – really proud of him – and I think he’s going to do good things.”

to jump

His son averaged 6.5 points per game for the Thunder last year.

His 38.3% shooting from three-point distance ranked fifth among NBA rookies who had played a minimum of 30 games. His defensive rating of 100.0 was rated No. 1.

But his sophomore year has been a true revelation of his abilities as a playmaker, scorer and lock-down defender.

“The more tools you have, the better off you are,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He has a lot of equipment, it doesn’t really matter what you do in there.

“He’s showing the world play-by-play.”

NBA Advanced stats show that as one of the Thunder’s main playmakers he has held the ball nearly 30% of the time this season.

Mitchell’s average of 12.1 drives per game is second on the team behind Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads the NBA in the category.

“He’s really comfortable, that’s the big thing,” Thunder guard Luguentz Dort said. “Whenever he has the ball, you always expect a big play from him.”

When several OKC players, including All-NBA forward Williams, began the season on the injured list, Mitchell took advantage of the opportunity for major playing time.

He now appears to be on everyone’s list for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Oddsmakers have him and Miami Heat guard Jaime Jacquez Jr. ranked as the top two candidates.

BetMGM is now also predicting Mitchell’s chances of winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. He is currently at 13th position.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst even made a Michael Jordanesque leap by putting Mitchell forward as a dark-horse candidate to replace Gilgeous-Alexander as the NBA’s MVP during his recent Hoop Collective podcast.

But the former gaucho was taught by mom, dad and grandmother to never be distracted by such things.

“I really try not to focus on outside noise,” Mitchell said. “It’s more, ‘What can I do to become a better player?’ And that’s within the team.

“That’s really what I’m focused on.

“It’s obviously great to get a compliment like that. I just have to stay focused and keep working to get better.”

The proximity of his OKC family has made a big difference, he said, as it did when he was at UCSB.

“I think it really helped just like it did in Santa Barbara,” Mitchell said. “When I came in we had six new players coming in, so it was really easy to adjust.

“And the people who were already there brought us in, so it was really seamless.

“Off the court it was pretty easy. It’s a great school, so I was really happy.”

His Thunder teammates weren’t happy last week. He scuffled with Portland’s Ryan Rupert, when he grabbed Mitchell’s jersey and threw him to the ground as he went in the air to take off.

Rupert was charged with a flagrant foul, but OKC’s Isaiah Hartenstein also drew a technical foul for his vigorous defense of his teammate.

Michelle, as always, took everything in stride, without a discouraging word.

“Just move forward,” he said. “Get ready for free throws.

“Teammates support me, which I always love.”

Just like it always happened with grandma.