How Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace Prove OKC Thunder's Bench Depth

If the Oklahoma City Thunder's starting lineup was hard enough to guard, adding another pair of elite-level talent to the fold only makes it that much more difficult.

Ideally, that's exactly what a strong bench unit provides. When the superstars head to the bench, the backups come in and keep the scoring going. More often than not, however, that doesn't end up being the case and there lies a true gap between the starters and the second-unit.

But the Thunder broke that mold in its first regular-season game.

Hitting the road to face the Chicago Bulls for their season opener, Oklahoma City knew it had a tough task ahead. The Bulls aren't expected to sit atop of the Eastern Conference, but playing a road game is difficult on its own.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped ease the Thunder into that task, not skipping a beat en route to a 31-point performance, but Wednesday night's win wasn't solely because of him. It was because of Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe.

Off the bench, a rookie Wallace and fourth-year veteran Joe combined for 27 points, seven rebounds and one each steal and block — both players having themselves an efficient night. Joe showed out behind the arc, as he did this past preseason, but so did Wallace, who literally did not miss a shot from the field, including three 3-point attempts.

More than just the point totals, however, both players showed off their maturity and poise off the ball. Wallace's shot selection came in handy, as he was able to get his spots, but also get his teammates involved, while Joe found his spots and made the Bulls pay on defense.

Thunder bench mob tonight

Cason Wallace (NBA DEBUT):

13 points
100 FG%
100 3P%
2 rebounds
1 assist
1 block

Ousmane Dieng:
9 points
60 FG%
60 3P%
2 rebounds

Isaiah Joe:
14 points
50 FG%
50 3P%
5 rebounds
2 assists
1 steal

These guys are gonna be CRUCIAL to the Thunders… pic.twitter.com/q50CbbHCPp
— ThunderChets (@ThunderChats) October 26, 2023

Both players were +9 and +14 in BPM respectively, showcasing their talent but also their efficiency on a night when the Thunder needed it. Between Joe, Wallace and the starters, Oklahoma City cruised to a win — and it has more than just its starts to thank.

On any given night, that's a good thing. On Wednesday night, that was a great thing.

The Thunder are 1-0, their starters showed out exactly the way they were expected to, and the bench unit provided a much-welcomed bonus — something that the Thunder can certainly get used to.

And Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace are the reasons why.

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