The Thunder made big moves this offseason with the additions of Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. With those additions, the Thunder have positioned themselves as real contenders this year. Some considered the Thunder favorites to represent the West in the Finals. On paper, this roster seems ready to win an NBA title. Furthermore, people think for the Thunder to win a title, it will depend on the jumps that Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams can make. While those jumps are important, there is another player’s jump that could be more beneficial for the Thunder. That player is Cason Wallace.
Wallace was selected 10th overall by the Thunder in the 2023 NBA Draft. He played in all 82 games for the Thunder as a rookie. Wallace averaged 6.8 points per game, shooting 49.1% from the field and 41.9% from deep. However, he made his presence known as a rookie with his defensive ability. He quickly became the Thunder’s second-best perimeter defender behind Lu Dort last year. Suppose that Wallace can make a big jump this year, and becomes an even larger threat coming off the bench for the Thunder. That could dramatically impact the Thunder’s title chances this season, and for years to come.
This Player’s Year Two Jump Could Be Crucial For The Thunder
Cason Wallace’s Defense
While Wallace shot very efficiently last year, he wasn’t much of a scoring threat. His main priority coming off the bench was defense. He helped cover the other team’s best player whenever Dort was in foul trouble or on the bench. In addition, if teams had multiple offensive weapons, he would usually play a lot with Dort to help cover the other teams’ best players. As a rookie in the playoffs, he was asked to cover guys like CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Kyrie Irving, and Luka Doncic. He did a fantastic job holding his opponents to shoot 25.9% from the field.
A @StatsWilliams special: Opponents are 14-of-54 (25.9%) when OKC rookie Cason Wallace is the primary defender in the playoffs, per @ESPNStatsInfo tracking. That’s the lowest field goal percentage allowed of any player to defend at least 50 shots this postseason. https://t.co/KZyAYpOG2c
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 14, 2024
With the arrival of Caruso, the Thunder now have three elite perimeter defenders to use at their disposal. This means that whoever the Thunder play against, their best player will have to go against one of these three defenders all game. There aren’t many teams that have one or two good perimeter defenders, let alone three of them. Wallace’s emergence as a defender will help take the pressure off guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams from having to guard the opposing team’s best player. In addition, it will also allow Dort and Caruso to play more aggressively, knowing Wallace is there if they get in foul trouble.
Cason Wallace’s Improvements on Offense
While Wallace is a great defender, he still has work to do on the offensive side. Even though he shot incredibly well from the floor and three-point range last season as a rookie, he wasn’t much of a scoring threat, only scoring 6.8 points per game. The hope is that he can become more of a threat on the offensive side of the ball and not just be a corner three-point shooter. In addition, there is room for improvement to become a better playmaker for the Thunder. Wallace will be a huge asset to have coming off the bench, adding that to what he gives you on the defensive end.
While the improvements and leaps that Holmgren and JWilliams can make are important, Wallace’s jump is crucial for their success, not only now, but for the future as well. If he can take a big leap on the offensive side of the ball, and it doesn’t affect his defense, sky ‘s the limit for Wallace. This will have a bigger impact on the Thunder winning a title this season, more than Williams and Holmgren. A simple reason for this is that it will allow them to do many more things that will make them harder to beat. Other teams already know they have to worry about Chet, Shai, and Jalen. However, Wallace can be the Swiss Army Knife for the Thunder.
The Thunder Won’t Have to Overpau for Alex Caruso
Finally, Wallace’s jump will impact the Thunder now and in the future as well, if he can take a massive leap. It will allow the Thunder to not have to worry about extending Caruso to a long-term deal. Caruso is 3o years old and only has one year remaining on his contract. He will be looking for an extension and is eligible to sign a four-year, $80 million deal. That is a lot of money that won’t be able to go elsewhere. This way, it will allow the Thunder to not feel like they have to give Caruso that four-year deal. They can offer him a two year deal and still have the flexibility to keep Wallace.
With Shai, Jalen, and Chet needing extensions soon, and by extending Caruso to the contract, there is no way the Thunder will be able to extend Wallace. Losing Wallace will hurt the Thunder more in the future, as he is only 20 years old and has the upside to be a better player than Caruso. If the Thunder lose Cason Wallace, it could cost Oklahoma City the opportunity to win titles in the future.
