2 Thunder Guards Battling For Rotational Minutes Next Season

The Thunder have begun their summer league journey in Utah, before heading to Vegas for the main event Friday. They already played two games, with the third and final one happening tonight. Summer League also marked the highly anticipated debut of Nikola Topic, their first-round pick from 2024 who missed the whole year due to an ACL injury. He did not disappoint, dropping 14 points and cashing in four assists. However, in the second game, he struggled shooting the ball but still had 11 points and five assists to help the Thunder get their first win. Topic isn’t the only Thunder guard who is trying to earn rotational minutes next year, as Ajay Mitchell is aiming for the same goal.

Mitchell was a second-round pick for the Thunder in 2024 and started his journey on a two-way contract. Ultimately, due to injuries, he was thrust into a more prominent role early on. He made the most of his opportunities and was rewarded with a standard contract as a result. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to surgery on a turf toe sprain. Although he returned at the end of the regular season and part of the playoffs, he did not receive consistent minutes. Now he is trying to build off of what he showed last year, and he will be battling other Thunder guard Topic for rotational minutes next season.

2 Thunder Guards Battling For Rotational Minutes Next Season

Arguments for Ajay Mitchell

The Thunder have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. They are going to have to start making tough decisions on who gets playing time and who doesn’t. Mitchell could be one of those casualties. However, he does have an advantage going into next season. Mark Daigneault likes to go around 11 deep in the regular season. Mitchell has a good chance of being that 10th or 11th guy, as his advantage is familiarity. He already knows the offense and has chemistry with most of the guys on the roster. This gives him an edge over Topic.

Another advantage Mitchell has over Topic is that he is a better shooter. Mitchell shot 38.3% from the three-point line, and Topic still has question marks about how good of a three-point shooter he can be. The Thunder don’t utilize the three-point shot like other teams to help them win games. However, having a 38.3% shooter out there is a good thing to have, especially when defenses collapse to try and stop the Thunder stars from driving. The final advantage Mitchell has is his defense, as he showed he can be a quality defender last year. The Thunder prioritizes defense over anything, and to get consistent minutes, you have to be able to play defense at a competitive level.

Arguments for Nikola Topic

Even though it seems like Mitchell has a slight lead or advantage over Topic, Topic has other skills he can offer that Mitchell doesn’t do as well or as often. Topic was supposed to be a top-five pick in the 2024 draft, but he fell to the Thunder at pick 12 due to his ACL injury. His main asset is his passing, as he was projected to be the best passer in that draft class. His court vision for open teammates is through the roof. Now, Mitchell is a good facilitator as well, but he isn’t quite as skilled in that department as Topic is.

To go along with Topic’s vision is his basketball IQ, as he just sees the floor so well. His facilitation will help the Thunder not have many dead possessions on offense or moments where their offense seems flat. This will be even more beneficial whenever the Thunder don’t have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, or Isaiah Hartenstein on the court, their three main passers. Finally, Topic’s other advantage is his age and how young he is, as he has more upside to improve than Mitchell. Topic is 19, going to be 20 when the year starts, and Mitchell is 23 years old. Topic might not be as finished of a product as Mitchell is, but he has more upside to be a better all-around player.

What the Thunder Should Do

Now to the big question: Who should get more minutes over the other, and who deserves a more consistent rotational spot? All of these questions are tricky to answer, even for coach Daigneault. However, based on his track record, it will probably all be dependent on the matchup and how the game is going. If the Thunder need more shooting and defense, there is a good chance he will turn to Mitchell for that. If the Thunder need more playmaking and facilitation, he will likely turn to Topic. This is the benefit of having great depth, as you have an answer for every problem that may arise in a game.

The Last Word on 2 Thunder Guards Battling for Rotational Minutes

The remaining Summer League games will be huge for players like Mitchell and Topic. The Thunder are going to have difficult decisions to make next year, and one of their biggest ones is who earns the backup guard spot whenever Shai goes to the bench. The options the Thunder have are Topic, Mitchell, and possibly some Cason Wallace thrown in there as well. Topic and Mitchell both bring unique strengths and weaknesses to the table, and it will be interesting to see who Daigneault ultimately gives more consistent minutes to.