OKC Thunder Getting More From Cason Wallace

Despite being 14-1, it has not been a charmed life for the Oklahoma City Thunder to begin the 2025-26 campaign. The OKC Thunder have seen more than their fair share of injuries. To the point they have nearly lost more games due to injury than anyone else. It starts at the top with the team's second leading scorer, All NBA swingman Jalen Williams, who has yet to make his season debut. Kenrich Williams and Nikola Topic has joined in him street clothes each game.

Furthermore, the Oklahoma City Thunder have missed key contributors like Rising Star Chet Holmgren, Defensive-aces Alex Caruso and Lu Dort, sharpshooter Isaiah Joe, and go-to bench scorer Aaron Wiggins for multiple games. This is in a span where the OKC Thunder have already notched a league-high 15 games, including three back-to-back sets.

Yet, the Thunder still sit with a near perfect resume, the lone loss being to the Portland Trail Blazers on the second night of a travel back to back in which Oklahoma City blew a massive lead. Its schedule to finish November finally softens, with just six games in the final 12 days of the month with four of those tilts coming against squads with a sub-.500 record to date.

What has helped the Oklahoma City Thunder navigate this tough stretch has been third-year guard Cason Wallace, who has played in 14 of the 15 games for the Thunder, to the tune of 8.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a league-best 2.4 steals per game. Wallace has shot 40% from the floor, 37% from beyond the arc and 90% at the charity stripe.

He is shooting 65% at the rim and 47% on corner triples that are often set up with no defender in sight given the scoring gravity of his teammates.

On the defensive end, Wallace has been nothing short of elite. Not only is he leading the league in steals per game, but has shown improved screen navigation and tactics at all phases. Even to the point of shutting down Steph Curry and Luka Doncic on two straight nights. Wallace ranks in the 79th percentile defending off screens, 90th percentile when switched onto post ups, 84th percentile when in charge of the pick-and-roll roller and the 69th percentile when defending hand offs.

This while letting up under a point per possession against pick-and-roll guards and even contesting shots at the rim to only let matchups convert at a lowly 53% clip from the guard position.

Mix that with his growing offense as he shoots 36% on catch-and-shoot chances, produces an elite 1.500 points per possession in transition shoots 40% on spot up chances at a 1.12 points per possession clip and you have a massive improvement and impact from the Kentucky product.