As the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers continue to duel in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, the defending champions, Oklahoma City Thunder, receive well-deserved rest after sweeping the No. 8-seeded Phoenix Suns in the opening round. During this time, OKC can look back on how it got into this luxurious position. The team's breakout star and Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Ajay Mitchell, was a big reason why, stepping up exactly when needed to after star wing Jalen Williams went down with an injury. Against one of the two potential competitors in the second round, OKC will need Mitchell to continue to step up, as he has the entire season when healthy and active. The second-year player has started extremely strongly in his first playoffs as a key rotation player. He played sporadically in the 2025 run, tallying 3.4 points per game across 12 appearances. Through the first four games of the 2026 playoffs, Mitchell has hit another gear.…