Inexplicable arrangement! The Thunder actually allowed the rookie to enter the rotation lineup in the finals G1

In a previous NBA Finals G1 game, the Indiana Pacers completed a comeback in the final quarter and narrowly defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder who played at home with a quasi-final win of the backcourt core Tyrese Haliburton. After this game, the Pacers took the lead in the series, leading the opponent 1-0 with a total score, and gaining a psychological advantage.

In this game, Thunder's substitute backcourt rookie Ajay Mitchell got some unexpected appearances, but his performance was very disappointing. Mitchell played 4 minutes and 10 seconds in the game, made 0 of 3 shots, 0 of 1 from outside the three-point line, and did not score 1 point in the game, contributing only 3 rebounds, three of which were frontcourt rebounds, with a plus-minus value of -3. On the one hand, Mitchell's enthusiasm for fighting for rebounds in the frontcourt was eye-catching, but his performance in other aspects was really bad. His scoring ability was seriously insufficient. He was unable to show his offensive talent in high-confrontation and high-intensity games. As a backcourt player, his performance in passing and organization is also not ideal, and he cannot take on more responsibilities on the defensive end. Overall, Mitchell's effect on the court is also unsatisfactory, which is also an important factor in his very limited playing time.

In the NBA regular season this season, Mitchell made a total of 36 appearances in 82 games, averaging 16.6 minutes per game, averaging 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.1 blocks, and 0.8 turnovers and 1.9 fouls, shooting percentage of 49.5%, three-point shooting percentage of 38.3%, and free throw shooting percentage of 82.9%. In the playoffs, Mitchell made a total of 9 appearances in the first 16 games, averaging 7.6 minutes, averaging 4.1 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.2 steals, 0.3 turnovers and 0.8 fouls, shooting percentage of 48.4%, three-point shooting percentage of 41.7%, and free throw shooting percentage of 66.7%.

Mitchell's performance in some regular season games is indeed highlighted. He has also demonstrated his rich offensive methods and good scoring ability, and he can also undertake the tasks of organizing and connecting offense at some times. Mitchell actually didn't play much time in the games before the playoffs, and he couldn't even get a chance to enter the rotation lineup in every game. Unexpectedly, when he arrived in the finals G1, he actually entered the rotation lineup. It was a bit of an unexpected decision. I guess the Thunder coaching staff is also regretting why Mitchell was allowed to appear in the rotation lineup of this game. It is estimated that in the next series, Mitchell should only be on the bench.