Cason Wallace's Second-Year Leap is Paramount to OKC Thunder

Holding down the fort in the second unit, Wallace's sophomore season is imperative to the Thunder's success in 2024-25.

May 18, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) drives to the basket as Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) defends during the second quarter in game six of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Cason Wallace's first season in the league was successful to say the least. A major contributor on the one-seeded Thunder in the Western Conference, Wallace's impact as the team's sixth man was colossal, and it didn't go unappreciated.

Wallace is a key cog in the machine for Oklahoma City, and it'll continue to be that way and more as he progresses into his skill set. His perimeter and on-ball defense was of the best on the team throughout the year, convincingly displaying his discipline and intelligence on that end of the floor. Of course, there were rookie mistakes, but his pros heavily outweighed the cons in his first season.

6.8 points and 0.9 steals on 49-42-78 shooting splits across all 82 games -- and starting 13 of those -- it was a vastly promising rookie campaign for Wallace, and his future only appears to be looking brighter. In his role next season, the rotations could look a bit different with Alex Caruso in the mix and no longer having Josh Giddey, but Wallace's impact and responsibilities will remain largely unchanged. Wallace's versatility and ability to seamlessly integrate with others on the floor is vital, and it allows him to work freely in several different lineups.

This upcoming season, he might not make a great leap in the box score -- outside of his point average, which is expected to rise -- but a lot of his improvement will be within the margins, improving on defensive mobility, positioning and developing as a more well-versed player on the floor. Wallace's production and improvement will help him spearhead the defense of that second unit with a year under his belt. And with what he's proved thus far, his jump into the next season should be very promising.

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