OKC Thunder’s Preseason Stretch Provides an Opportunity for Cason Wallace to Explore

Cason Wallace could see an expanded role in Oklahoma City's offense this season, and the preseason is the perfect spot to experiment.

Cason Wallace is pictured during the Thunder media day at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cason Wallace has a high ceiling in the NBA, and oftentimes seems to be the lost member within Oklahoma City’s young core. With the collection of young talent the Thunder has, it makes sense that a young player or two could get lost in the shuffle. But make no mistake — Wallace is a big part of the team’s future plans.

He came into the league as a rookie and immediately played a crucial role on a contending team. Sometimes it’s hard for first year players to find a groove, especially when they are asked to fill a certain role on a good team. But Wallace excelled in many areas and fit exactly what the Thunder needed out of him. Now Oklahoma City knows he can be counted on in that same role, but he could expand his game even more over the next few seasons.

One avenue Wallace could explore is improving on his on-ball skills and creation opportunity. At Kentucky, he was asked to be more of a facilitating point guard rather than just a 3-and-D player. Oklahoma City needs ball handling in its second unit, and Wallace could be up for the task.

“I don't really know my situation yet,” Wallace said when asked about his potential role. “We haven't gotten together as a team yet and seen how everybody gels together. Whatever my role is this upcoming year, I'm going to play it to the best of my ability, and I'm going to make it work.”

Wherever Wallace is asked to play, he now has confidence that he can do it at the highest level. He played in all 82 regular season contests for the Thunder and averaged 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He was also a stellar defender, averaging a combined 1.4 steals and blocks per game. The biggest surprise was his outside shooting touch, as Wallace shot 41.9% from 3-point range and 78.4% from the free throw line.

“Just knowing what it takes to play at this level,” Wallace said. “I feel like last year I learned a lot as far as being able to hold my ground if somebody bumps me or if I'm driving and being bumped off of my line. So that's something that I took seriously and worked towards this summer.”

Preseason will be the perfect opportunity for the young guard to explore his skillset and make a strong case for heavy rotation minutes. He’s capable of being a facilitating guard like we saw during his time at Kentucky, but needs to figure out how to operate within the flow of the Thunder’s offense.

“I had a lot of opportunities last year, and I was able to showcase whatever I needed to at the time,” Wallace said. “Depending on the situations that I believe in next season, I will be able to show what I have.”

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