OKC Thunder's Cason Wallace Maintaining Efficiency as Sixth Man, Spot Starter
The Oklahoma City Thunder currently hold the No. 3 spot in the West with a record of 15-8, and is regarded as a top ten team on both ends of the court just over two months into the season.
Yes, there's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams — but one of the primary unsung heroes for this young Oklahoma City team is rookie Cason Wallace.
The former Kentucky guard entered his first year in the association knowing the depth the Thunder held from players like Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Tre Mann and Ousmane Dieng could've been a limiter for his ability to showcase his own upsides.
Regardless of the depth Oklahoma City held, he got the call from the start of the season, as head coach Mark Daigneault saw his potential and implemented him into the thick of Oklahoma City's game plan — from ingrained sixth man to supplanting injured players in the starting lineup.
This decision is one of many impactful reasons as to how the Thunder has climbed to the No. 3 seed, and has been advantageous for the team as a whole.
Wallace provides so much relief defensively, defending relentlessly at the point of attack, along with incredible versatility offensively.
His style on the floor is interesting, playing to his own devices as a 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard.
Offensively, Wallace navigating open spaces like the dunker spot to hovering along the 3-point line for catch-and-shoot opportunities — averaging 52% from outside on the season — have opened up his scoring production.
Some may have questioned Wallace's ability to finish at the rim, but that's been shown to not be the case as he averages just under 69% on 48 attempts, nearly 10% higher than the league average.
As of now, he sits at No. 7 in both field goal percentage and true shooting percentage among all rookies, while also averaging the 14th most points with only the 57th highest usage rate in the class.
But with an efficient 7.4 points, invaluable perimeter defense and establishing a role in a constantly evolving roster, Wallace's future as a Thunder is a bright one.
As this entire team garners more and more experience together, Wallace's production and value can only be heightened.
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