OKC Thunder Guard Cason Wallace Growth to Pay Dividends in NBA Postseason

In the second quarter of Tuesday's tilt in Toronto, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace brought the ball up the floor. Acting as the lead guard with the Bricktown Ballers at the time, down superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams and Rising Star Ajay Mitchell. When Wallace crossed the timeline, he accelerated toward the basket after already posting 14 points and showing his ability to finish around the ring. In an instant, he stopped on a dime, brought the ball back from out in front of him, stepped back behind the 3-point line, and cashed a triple as Jamal Shead was left stumbling past the elbow. Closer to the rim than contesting Wallace.

In that moment, not only did Wallace have 17 points at the five-minute mark of the second quarter, but you had to check his jersey to ensure a second two was on his Thunder uniform. Because he looked like a carbon copy of his Kentucky guard counterpart on this roster, Gilgeous-Alexander.

The 22-year-old finished the night with 27 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a steal while driving the Thunder to a 116-107 win North of the border. This was part of a three-game stretch of posting over 20 points, leading the Thunder to a 2-1 record in that span.

In the month of February, Wallace is averaging a season-best 15 points, nearly four rebounds and five assists while shooting 48 percent from the floor, 37 percent from beyond the arc and 78 percent at the charity stripe. He got to the line more times in this month, in 11 games thus far, than in any other month of the year.

Given the lack of healthy ball handlers for the Bricktown Ballers, Wallace's usage rate skyrocketed as well, soaring to 20.2 percent. His next highest mark? January's 13.3 percent usage rate in 13 games. He has been able to tap into his point guard background more over this recent stretch, which he flashed at a high level as a prospect, due to the Thunder's injuries. A silver lining of sorts for Oklahoma City.

“Just a confidence boost. I’ll be in those situations later in the season. Getting those reps now helps with that," Wallace said of his recent stretch on Friday morning ahead of the Thunder's clash with the Nuggets.

He is right.

Sure, it may not look the exact same as his 20.2% usage rate and the need to bring the ball up the floor on most possesions come playoff time. But the skillset can certainly translate.

Wallace's elite defense will have him soaking up plenty of postseason minutes for Oklahoma City. In the past, he has been relegated to the team's 3-and-D option. Often finding himself in the corner ready to catch-and-shoot or swing the ball to the next man.

As the Kentucky product has shown to be more comfortable in his decision-making on the ball, and creating scoring chances for himself off the dribble or for others as a playmaker, it adds a much-needed new dynamic to the Thunder's playoff offense.

Now, when Wallace is up against a hard close-out, he could be tasked with attacking the defender flying out to him by putting the ball on the deck for a one-dribble pull-up, or getting to the rim baseline, or just navigating inside the arc to force another rotation and spraying the ball out to his teammates. The possibilities are endless.

This new found confidence can be a championship difference maker for the Oklahoma City Thunder, hoping to be the NBA's first repeat winners since the 2018 Golden State Warriors.