Player grades: Ajay Mitchell shows out in Thunder's 80-77 summer league win over Grizzlies (2024)

As cliche as it sounds, this was truly a tale of two halves for Dieng. The inconsistencies with the 21-year-old have been the main source of frustration for most fans. In his third SL trip, he should have a more stable baseline.

In 32 minutes, Dieng collected 17 points on 7-of-20 shooting, eight assists, four rebounds and four blocks. He shot 3-of-10 from 3 and committed six turnovers.

The first half was another long stretch where Dieng became translucent. He had four points on 2-of-8 shooting. It was a disappointing opening two frames that felt like he took a couple of steps back after a step forward from his performance against the Utah Jazz.

Then halftime hit and it looked like the extended break did Dieng some good. He came out much more aggressive. He sought his shot and wasn’t afraid to let it fly from deep. He had 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting in the second half to lead OKC to a close win.

When ranking his three SL games in Utah, this likely slides middle. The change of playstyle between halves is encouraging; as are the high-volume attempts. But it shouldn’t take Dieng two quarters to realize this. On the Thunder, he won’t have that luxury.

“I thought today was a really important game for him,” Woods said about Dieng. “He didn’t start the first half very well… His poise for our team is really important. He’s a third-year guy, the youngest guy on our team still.”

Sizing up in the post, Mitchell spun right and banked in an imbalanced floater with several Grizzlies players surrounding him. The impressive trick shot showed off the 22-year-old’s hot hand.

Mitchel finished with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting and five rebounds in 21 minutes. He went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. After a quietly solid first two nights, the second-round rookie was loudly OKC’s best player and sole source of offense for most of the contest.

It’s tough to see Mitchell play meaningful minutes in his rookie campaign, but he might force OKC’s hand if he carries this type of production into the G League season. He’s shown the chops of being a respectable ball-handler who can fill the backup point guard role.

After a strong first two outings, this was a forgettable third game for Jones. Fatigue might’ve played a role as he logged heavy minutes in the first two Utah SL games.

Jones totaled seven points on 2-of-11 shooting, six rebounds, five assists and three steals in 30 minutes. He shot 1-of-6 from 3 and committed six turnovers.

The outside shot must be better if the 22-year-old wants to be an immediate contributor. He must be a respectable outside shooter as most of his looks will come from downtown on the catch-and-shoot variety.

It’ll be interesting to see how much he plays in Las Vegas. He played all three games in Utah, which means the rest of his summer league might be cut short soon.

“Right now is about gaining experience, going through the lumps, highs and lows,” Jones said about SL. “The greatest teacher in life — whether it’s basketball or whatever it is — is experience. So I think this is all about doing that. It’s almost good that I’m messing up and making mistakes now to get it out of the way.”

After his rights were renounced, Johnson is playing for a roster spot. Unlike last year, he won’t be on a two-way deal but can fill in the final standard spot. After he sat out against Utah, the 24-year-old had the most minutes off the bench versus the Grizzlies.

Johnson finished with seven points on 1-of-3 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes. He went 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. He had a critical jump ball he won in the final seconds to help seal the win.

Expect Johnson to get plenty of more playing time in Las Vegas. He needs the minutes to show why he should get an NBA contract. Even if it’s not in OKC, the 24-year-old has 29 other potential landing spots to fall on.