Stiles Points: Cason Wallace Next Step Important For OKC Thunder

The expectations only grow coming off an NBA Championship. After bagging their first Larry O'Brien trophy, dynasty talks only grow around Bricktown when previewing the 2025-26 campaign for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With everyone sitting at Mark Daigneault's favorite record –– 0-0 –– the sky is the limit for the Thunder. Some believe they can threaten the Golden State Warriors' win record, turning in a 73-9 record in the 2015-16 season.

That is bullish. It will be incredibly hard for the Oklahoma City Thunder to get back to the 68-win height they reached a year ago during their quest for the third straight top seed finish with this core. It is also unnecessary. The Thunder are good enough to win a championship with this roster, when healthy, regardless of regular-season record.

However, no one can stop the daydreamers in August. After all, the OKC Thunder have the deepest and most talented team in the league and posted a historic campaign a year ago despite missing significant time from Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso.

Though winning a championship is bigger than any regular-season win total, the OKC Thunder aim to do something that hasn't been done in this league in nearly a decade: Go back-to-back.

For the first time in NBA history, we sit in a parity era, with each of the past seven winners failing to make it further than the second round of the NBA Playoffs the next season. Oklahoma City is bound and determined to buck that trend and has all the tools to do so.

What would make this obstacle-cluttered path clearer would be third-year guard Cason Wallace taking another step in his development and getting back to his rookie-year shooting numbers.

By no means was Wallace bad a year ago. In fact, his defense is a big part of why the Oklahoma City Thunder are celebrating a championship this summer. But with the talent he possesses, he isn't done getting progressing –– much like the rest of this roster. This makes the "run it back" strategy a good one for the Bricktown ballers this offseason, retaining 14 of the 15 standard contract players from a season ago.

But a year ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder did witness Wallace take a massive step back from beyond the arc. After shooting 42% from distance on 2.9 attempts per game as a rookie, he followed that up with a 35% on 3.1 attempts a night sophomore campaign.

This impact was felt within the Thunder offense. Seeing a ten percentage decrease from the corners dipping to a 34% clip from 3-point land and a two percentage decline from non-corner triples to 37%. His rim finishing –– while including a few highlight reel jams –– dropped seven percent, converting at the cup at a 66% clip.

Off the catch, Wallace shot just 35% down from his rookie campaign, posting 42% which ranked in the 89th percentile.

Down years happen, but the Kentucky product is too good to see this much of a dip in production. The third-year guard is bound to bounce back for Oklahoma City this season, given the shot quality which will be funneled to him playing next to the scoring gravity of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

It isn't an if but a when Wallace becomes a reliable play-finisher for this team, not only does his individual numbers skyrocket, as does the team's success. An offense that stalled at times a year ago gets a much-needed shot of life injected into it by the 21-year-old.

When you mix the step forward as a shooter with his lethal 1.463 points per possession as a cutter ranking in the 81st percentile, the interesting 1.222 points per possession as a pick-and-roll man in guard-to-guard screening sets for Wallace, and you immediately have a more productive offensive unit for the reigning champs.

Wallace took a step forward playing off the catch and in the role of an initiator at time last season. But his bread will still be buttered off the ball and in transition in tandem with his elite defense.

The Oklahoma City Thunder should expect a step forward from the young guard. It is bound to happen.

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