For the second year in a row, a Belgian has been chosen in the NBA Draft. Last year, that honor fell to Toumani Camara, yesterday it was Ajay Mitchell’s prize. The 22-year-old playmaker was picked up by Oklahoma City Thunder, a top team in the NBA. And that may be the problem, thinks Dennis Xhäet, host of the NBA podcast X & O’s. “I think he would have had more opportunities with other teams,” he says at Sporza.
“We don’t have a new Belgian in the NBA yet,” Dennis Xhaët immediately dots the i’s about Ajay Mitchell, who was selected 38th in the Draft.
And Xhaët is of course right: there is a big difference between being drafted and actually playing in the NBA. “Just look at the second-round picks of the last 20 years: there are more who did not end up in the NBA than did. That is the harsh reality.”
“If you are drafted in the 1st round, your contract is guaranteed. In the 2nd round this is not the case,” Xhaët explains. “Oklahoma City now has the rights to Mitchell, but he is not yet in the NBA.”
I think Ajay Mitchell might have been given more opportunities in other teams.
Dennis Xhaët
Is OKC the right place for Mitchell? The team does have a reputation for giving young players a lot of opportunities and many talents have developed enormously there in recent years. However, Xhaët has doubts.
“I am of course very happy that a Belgian has been drafted for the second year in a row, but I do not know whether OKC is the best team for him. It is true that they have given a lot of young talent a chance, but you also have to be able to get them on the field.”
In short: there may be too much young talent at the Thunder. “I think he might have gotten more chances at other teams. But never say never. OKC did make a conscious deal with the Knicks to be able to select Mitchell with the 38th pick. They don’t do that lightly. That gives me hope.”
It could always happen that Mitchell is used as bargaining chip.
Dennis Xhaët
A starting position, such as Toumani Camara at Portland, is something Mitchell can certainly write on his stomach: that spot is reserved for the Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the best point guards in the NBA. And there is more, Xhaët knows.
“Jalen Williams is their second best player, he also likes to have the ball in his hands. Then you have guys like Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso who recently came and in the 1st round of the draft they went with Nikola Topic also selected a playmaker, even if he is still out for a long time. That is already 6 names that come for Mitchell.”
Could there also be another Camara scenario for Mitchell? Our compatriot was also transferred from Phoenix to Portland last summer, where he did get a lot of playing minutes. “OKC could still use some length. It can always happen that he is used as a bargaining chip in a trade.”
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Heading to the G League?
Ajay Mitchell’s NBA future is not yet assured, that much is clear. What is the next step for our compatriot? “The Summer League and the training camp are coming. They will be very important for him to prove himself. A lot will depend on that,” says Dennis Xhaët.
“Then we will know whether he will actually become an NBA player. The signs are positive. If you look at how he has evolved, I think he will get his chance. Although I fear that the Belgian NBA fans will have to be patient for a while.”
And patience, that seems to be the code word for Mitchell himself for the time being. Xhäet expects that the Belgian will first have to prove himself in the G League, the satellite competition of the NBA. “I think he will not get the chances that Camara did this season,” he says.
In the G League you can suddenly get your chance with an NBA team and break through, but you can also get completely stuck.
Dennis Xhaët
“The G League also fits Mitchell’s trajectory, but it is a difficult situation,” Xhaët continues. “You can suddenly get your chance with an NBA team and break through, but you can also get completely stuck there.”
“It’s a very tough world. Every man for himself. No team basketball. It’s really showing what you can do to get a chance in the NBA. That’s tough. But it’s also clear that Mitchell has only one goal in mind and that is to get into the NBA.”
“And yes, OKC does indeed give a lot of opportunities to youngsters, but that is no guarantee. In the current team, I don’t think he will get any minutes in the NBA. That is why I am not convinced that it is a good destination for him. There were better opportunities,” Xhaët concludes.
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2024-06-28 16:10:08
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