With the departure of Lu Dort this summer, the widespread belief is that Cason Wallace is now the frontrunner to take over the starting two guard position for the OKC Thunder.
Throughout his three-year tenure with the club, the former lottery pick has frequently proven himself capable of rising to the occasion when thrust into the first five lineup. His last game filling in for such a role serves as the most recent reminder of how bright he can shine.
In a high-stakes, win-or-go-home Game 7 matchup against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, Wallace was named a starter as a result of the widespread injuries the Thunder roster was hit with.
Despite the pressure, the 22-year-old took full advantage of the opportunity, as he absolutely stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block while shooting 60.0 percent from the floor 55.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Now, though these efforts may have been overshadowed by the fact that the Thunder were ultimately sent packing from the postseason as a result of their 111-103 loss, a result largely influenced by Chet Holmgren and the now offloaded Dort's dissapearing acts, the fact still remains that when entrusted as a starter, Wallace has continuously stepped up his level of production.
His last outing with OKC is simply just the latest example of this.
Thunder have dominated when Cason Wallace has been used as a starter
It's not as if Wallace is a stranger to being inserted into the Thunder starting lineup. Just last season, he slotted into the top-billed rotation on a whopping 58 occasions, with OKC going a ridiculous 49-9 along the way.
Of course, their epic record doesn't even begin to tell the full story of his impact as a first-five fixture.
Throughout these contests during the 2025-26 campaign, the Thunder placed in the 94 percentile in point differential (plus-11.9), the 96 percentile in opponent turnover percentage (17.6), and the 97 percentile in opponent points per 100 possessions (105.7).
He would also personally add averages of 9.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 steals on 36.4 percent shooting from deep while registering a plus-7.4 plus-minus, the fourth-best on the team among those who logged 30 or more starts.
So while some may be a bit upset about the fact that Oklahoma City has lost their beloved long-time starting shooting guard in Dort, it's clear that the position is in good hands with Wallace likely now stepping up as the team's go-to two.
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