The Oklahoma City Thunder’s valued role player often ignites his team with timely steals and deflections. Anytime Cason Wallace fulfills that consistent job description, however, the third-year guard offers more than key stops and timely baskets.
After making those signature plays, Wallace lays out his hands to mimic the All State’s logo. Thunder guard Alex Caruso gave Wallace that nickname as a nod to the insurance’s motto, “you’re in good hands.”
“This year, he’s come out with a much better celly,” Thunder center Chet Holmgren said with a smile. “He gets the steal and he does the All-State thing. Hopefully he gets a little endorsement out of that one.”
It wouldn’t be surprising.
The Thunder (41-13) enter Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns (32-22) with the 22-year-old Wallace ranked first in the NBA in steals (2.1) and fourth in deflections (4.3) per game. In his third NBA season, Wallace has also emerged as a complementary scorer. Wallace has averaged 8.3 points while shooting 43.2% from the field and 35.7% from 3-point range, but he has increased his scoring output through five games in February. Amid overlapping injuries, most notably to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal) and Jalen Williams (right hamstring), Wallace has averaged 16 points while shooting 53.2% from the field and 36% from deep in the past five games.
“You’ve got an elite, elite defensive player at a very young stage of his career,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Obviously, he’s still a growing offensive player. But we’re seeing it. You never know in the season with young players when you’ll see something start to sprout. He’s had a nice little run here offensively as well. As we move through the last third of the season, if we can keep that confidence and decisiveness up, he’s a hell of a two-end player.”
Daigneault said that Wallace has forged that identity by combining his strong physical attributes (strength, toughness, athleticism) with his mental ones (work ethic, instincts). Aside from his All-State celebration gesture, Wallace provides those qualities without saying much else.
That partly explains why Wallace’s teammates doused him with water after posting 27 points while shooting 9-for-14 from the field and 7-for-11 from deep in a recent win over the Denver Nuggets.
“He has a very quiet self-confidence, but he’s not lacking of any respect with stepping aside for anybody else. He’s a confident player,” Caruso said. “We have a team full of confident players. Especially for him, he’s not always yelling and screaming like some of the other guys on the team. So he can get forgotten about, and it can be quiet with how well he’s playing. But he’s just solid. That’s what makes championship teams. You got guys that you forget about that are playing phenomenally, and he’s doing that.”
Wallace spoke to EssentiallySports recently about his strong two-way play, what it’s like guarding Gilgeous-Alexander in practice, and limiting some of the NBA’s top stars. Wallace also talked about possibly making an All-Defensive team and signing an offseason extension with the Thunder.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
What has prepared you for you to have the season that you’re having?
Wallace: “Just getting stronger with my base and being able to move laterally and trying to be more physical offensively with driving to the rack.”
What were the drills?
Wallace: “There was a lot of lower-body stuff. I didn’t put the workouts together. I just did what I was told. But it was pretty much everything that you can think of.”
What has that done for you?
Wallace: “I’m able to play longer. I’m able to stay in my stance longer. I’m not wearing down as the game goes on.”
You’ve excelled so much as a defender that you were named Western Conference Defensive Player of the month. What has gone into that growth?
Wallace: “I’m able to use my instincts more. I’m not second-guessing myself. I know that my teammates can be there to cover for me as well. So I’m able to take more chances.”
With how well you’ve excelled with steals and deflections, how have you determined when it’s good or not to take a chance?
Wallace: “It’s about knowing who you’re playing against and knowing who is on the floor with you, teammate wise. I know when I have guys like Chet and [Isaiah] Hartenstein at the rim that I can be more aggressive and make them drive to the paint. I let them get blocks or force my opponent to throw a wild pass.”
I looked up some of your matchup data. You had a lot of good defensive performances, including against KD (Kevin Durant; 3-for-10), ANT (Anthony Edwards; 5-for-14), Luka [Doncic; 3-for-9], Ja [Morant; 2-for-9] and Deni [Avdija’ 3-for-15]. What did you do in those matchups to help limit those star players?
Wallace: “I was just playing hard. They all have something in common with playing hard. So I was just playing hard. I wanted to win that matchup and was just focused on doing my best.”
How did you prepare for those matchups?
Wallace: “I watch a few clips before the games just to see what their main tendencies are. So the more I can get them from doing that, that’s a win, in my opinion. They’re all different. So it’s about knowing the personnel and knowing who I’m playing against.”
What would it mean to you to land on an All-Defensive team?
Wallace: “It would mean a lot. I’m playing hard. You want to get recognized for the things that you do well. That’s something that everyone wants to be a part of with being on an All-NBA team.”
How do you view yourself as a defender compared to others in the league?
Wallace: “I think I’m very good. There are a lot of good defenders in the league. But I can only compete with myself and my teammates. So I want to win that matchup and play as hard as I can. It’s about having the instincts, playing freely and just being who I am.”
Considering you’re on such a great team, what is the practice and scrimmage prep like with defending Shai and your other teammates?
Wallace: “It’s good practice for the season. Shai is one of the best guards in the league. So with being able to play against him, iron sharpens iron. It’s not about stopping him. He does a lot. He’s good at reacting at things that might knock somebody else off. It’s tough. He’s going to find a way every time you try to throw something at him.”
Cason Wallace explodes for 27 after drilling 7 triples.
Your game has grown offensively, including with your seven 3s against Denver. Why do you think you’ve been prepared for this moment?
Wallace: “It’s just about having confidence and teammates having confidence in me. I’m just taking the shots.”
What was the water bottle celebration afterwards like?
Wallace: “It was fun. My teammates were celebrating my accomplishments. We were enjoying the moment together.”
Your coach has complimented you for embracing the role that’s available to you even if you could have a bigger role if you were on another team. Why are you able to have that attitude with your role, especially considering you’ll be eligible for an extension this offseason?
Wallace: “I just make the most of my opportunities. Everybody has a role to play. I want to be the best at my role. Obviously, everybody wants a contract. But I’m just going out there and playing as hard as I can. It’ll happen when it happens. That’s who I am as a person.”
What do you think you all have done to build off of last season’s NBA title run?
Wallace: “We just have to be ready to play every game. We’ve been getting back toward having a 0-0 mindset before every game. We know that everybody is going to throw their best punch.”
With Shai and Chet making the All-Star team, what growth have you seen from them?
Wallace: “Shai’s still trying to be the best player in the league. Chet has been going at it. He’s an All-Star, and is deserving like it. He’s playing like it. They’re always highly competitive. They always try to be who they are and they lead by example.”
What do you think of Kentucky having the most All-Stars this year?
Wallace: “That’s cool. It shows how many good players that we’ve had go through that organization. They have very good players that go through there. They all put up numbers.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for EssentiallySports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.