Cason Wallace Could Be X Factor for OKC Thunder

Oklahoma City is deep and has plenty of options across the board, but one of the Thunder’s rising stars could be the difference in a championship run.

On Wednesday, the Thunder secured a season sweep of the Boston Celtics with a 118-112 win at TD Garden. After beating the Celtics in Oklahoma City without Chet Holmgren in January, the Thunder won the rematch on the road with Jalen Williams sidelined.

While the Thunder will need both of their secondary stars ready to go come playoff time, their ability to win big games while missing key contributors is impressive. A major reason for the Thunder’s success in those situations has been how the supporting cast steps up in those moments.

In Boston, Cason Wallace was the key to the Thunder closing out the Celtics down the stretch. Along with his typical effort defensively, Wallace cashed in on a couple of offensive possessions late in the fourth.

Wallace nailed a 3-pointer to extend the lead to nine with 2:20 left and drove in for a layup a possession later for an 11-point advantage. Also hitting three of his four free throws in the fourth quarter, Wallace finished with eight points in the final frame, tying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the most.

Wallace’s ability to work well alongside Gilgeous-Alexander has also been critical for the Thunder throughout the season. Wallace can easily play off the ball as a catch-and-shoot threat but has also improved his ability to put the ball on the floor in his second season. Add in his seamless fit with anyone defensively, and it might be hard to keep Wallace out of the starting lineup in the playoffs.

This season, Wallace has averaged 7.8 points, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals. Although he has only shot 33.9% from deep this season, that number has jumped to 40.2% since the start of the calendar year.

As the Thunder continue to tinker and find different approaches over the final month of the season, giving Wallace a bigger role offensively could prove massive come playoff time. While he won’t steal the headlines most nights, the Thunder’s second-year defensive star is sure to make a difference when the lights are brightest.

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.