How Thunder Rookie Cason Wallace 'Fits In' with Oklahoma City Through His Defense

Despite not having played a single regular season game, Cason Wallace faces a tall order of carving out a place for himself on a Thunder roster full of young talent, where he'll likely use his defense to set him apart.

Entering a roster jam-packed with young talent, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Cason Wallace will quickly need to carve his place out on the team. 

That's not an easy to do, however. Sure, there are plenty of skills to be elite at, but finding one that's unique can be where the difficulty sets in. Need Shooting? Isaiah Joe. Height? Chet Holmgren. Clutch Ability? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

So, where does Wallace fit in? The answer might be more simple than you think. 

"[Wallace's signature skill is] creating defense events," Bleacher Report wrote in a rookie analysis. "An outstanding 3.7 steal percentage at Kentucky highlights both elite instincts and excellent technique, particularly guarding in space." 

Defense. That has the potential to push Wallace into the Thunder's primary rotation, especially if he brings playmaking or facilitating along with it. Oklahoma City has plenty of scorers and guards, meaning the offense is in good shape, which is why Wallace wouldn't need to specialize in that area, but rather on the defensive side of things. If he could create steals and force turnovers, he'd be able to set up his other teammates at the other end of the court.

"Anticipation and lateral footwork help Wallace keep ball-handlers in front of him," Bleacher Report continued. "There he can use his quick hands, IQ and hand-eye coordination to strip the ball. His effort and mind play a role, but there is skill to Wallace's defensive playmaking." 

All of his positive defensive qualities were certainly a big part of Oklahoma City's reasoning for drafting him with the Dallas Mavericks' No. 10 overall pick. The best part about his skillset for the Thunder however, is that his expected offensive impact is just a "hopefully" statement. 

"The versatility to shoot off the dribble, pass and hit spot-up threes should allow him to fit into to different lineups [on offense]," Bleacher Report wrote. 

That will come into play, of course, if his defensive talent earns him a spot on the lineup, since his offensive prowess isn't what the Thunder are likely to look at first. But when they do, he'll be looking to make sure it's icing on the cake. 

Wallace may not have hit the court during the regular season, but when the fall enters full swing, the rookie will certainly have lots of eyes on him. And with a defense-first mindset, he won't just be watched on offense — that's where he fits in. 

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