Cason Wallace Showed Extreme Growth Through Highs and Lows of Playoffs

All season long, it has been strength in numbers for this Oklahoma City Thunder team. Of course, the operation is led by an all-time MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an All-Star behind him in Jalen Williams, but this has been a total team effort.

When the Thunder rested players down the stretch, or anyone went down with an injury, it felt natural to expect someone to step up in a big way. Every player within the rotation had to sacrifice a bit of their personal skillset to fit into exactly what the team needed. 

A handful of young guys were thrown into the fire this postseason, but that’s what Mark Daigneault spent all year preparing for — making sure these guys were ready for the moment. There were highs and lows, not ever performance was great, but Cason Wallace proved that he’s a key piece of Oklahoma City’s operation moving forward. He handled the pressure — and then some.

Wallace wore many different hats for the Thunder over the course of the playoffs and the regular season. He added starting nods in the NBA Finals to his resume, guarded some of the best perimeter offensive players in the NBA, and drilled some timely 3-point baskets to help the Thunder seal the deal. Whether he was in the starting lineup or coming off the bench, Oklahoma City relied heavily on Wallace to make an impact.

After a few rough shooting nights, Wallace showed resilience in Game 5 with 11 points on 3-of-4 from deep. He was never rattled by the moment, and always found a way to settle in.

"Yeah, just kept my confidence high," Wallace said after his Game 5 performance. "I've been shooting contested shots all year. Not a new approach to the game. Just some shots fell. It was more noticeable."

That confidence carried over into Game 7, the biggest game of Wallace's life and the most important game in franchise history. In 26 minutes, Wallace added 10 points on 4-of-6 from the floor, knocked down two triples, and added three steals. He was critical to the Thunder pulling away from the Pacers and slamming the door shut.

It feels like Wallace's role will continue to increase with the way he has developed. He's still only scratching the surface of his special skillset, too. Oklahoma City hit again at the end of the lottery, and Wallace is the latest case study. His ceiling could continue to grow with each game that passes.