During one preseason game, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s two rookies emerged. Dillon Jones and Ajay Mitchell had a monstrous second half that led them to a narrow victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

It was a nice carryover from their summer league performances, where they looked more like NBA veterans than newcomers.

Due to OKC’s rich depth, Jones and Mitchell likely won’t see much action in their first year at a title contender. But an 82-game season brings surprises. Both could see playing time during parts of the grueling campaign just to have new bodies available.

When such situations arise, Aaron Wiggins believes Jones and Mitchell can contribute right away.

“They have everything it takes to be successful in the competition. Those guys are great players on and off the ball,” Wiggins said. “You have to respect them defensively. They compete. They have everything it takes to be successful.”

Wiggins – who found himself in a similar spot in his rookie season – praised Jones for his willingness. The 22-year-old entered training camp with a notebook full of questions. The Weber State product certainly lives by the saying that closed mouths don’t get fed.

“Dillon is just really curious. He’ll ask a few little questions, like maybe a specific setup. He’ll ask, ‘What do you think of this setup?’ He will ask for specific spots on the floor, times to cut, with the ball in your hands, the first reads, types of reads to make,” Wiggins said “He is a very smart player. He wants to gain as much knowledge as possible day in, day out.”

The 25-year-old sees similarities in Jones’ journey to the league. He believes his four years in college helped him gain a perspective that most rookies only add after their first year in the NBA.

“You can see his age and I know he’s a rookie, but similar to how I was. I came in at 22 and went to college for a few years,” Wiggins said. “I think it makes you understand a little bit more that you have to take your time and learn and grow a lot when you get into the league.”

The hype train for Jones and Mitchells is getting faster and faster. While both will likely be out of OKC’s rotation to start the season, they could push Mark Daigneault with a productive preseason and G League stints during the early months of the year.

“(Jones is) ready, just be open like a sponge and learn as much as you can,” Wiggins said.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Aaron Wiggins sees similarities in Dillon Jones’ NBA journey