Though most of the attention from Tuesday's season opener between the OKC Thunder and Houston Rockets may have been on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his game-altering heroics, Motor City Hoops' Bryce Simon personally seems to be infatuated by the play of Cason Wallace.
Earning the starting nod with Jalen Williams ruled out as he continues to rehab from offseason wrist surgery, the guard picked up right where he left off with his sophomore season, providing a spark for Oklahoma City on both ends of the ball while getting involved in the areas of play that don't necessarily get noticed on the stat sheet.
While undoubtedly still exhilarating to see for Thunder fans, at the end of the day, these Energizer Bunny efforts are almost viewed as the norm among the franchise's faithful followers.
Yet, to the Pistons reporter, it's something that he seemingly believes warrants some sort of special attention.
Pistons reporter enthralled by Cason Wallace's impact on Thunder
During a recent episode of the Game Theory Podcast, Simons made it a point to highlight the impact Wallace had on the Thunder during their season opener, specifically gushing over how he does "all the little things" on the floor.
"He'll go grab an out of area defensive rebound. He had an insane baseline cut catch, whip pass to the weak side slot, and [Lu] Dort just missed the shot... that would have been a highlight-reel play. He had a momentum three-pointer in the third quarter, he had that drive and lay-up versus [Reed] Shepard that I mentioned... I just thought he was huge," Wallace said.
In this offense-driven era of the game, it's easy for fans to take note of the fact that he finished with 14 points on a highly efficient 50.0 percent shooting from the floor and 37.5 percent shooting from deep during OKC's 125-124 win over Houston.
However, in typical Caso fashion, his stat line far exceeded the scoring department, as he wrapped up the night with seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals while registering with the team's second-highest plus-minus rating at plus-eight.
Throughout his tenure with the club, Wallace has built up a reputation for being an absolute pest in the nitty gritty aspects of the game. It's why he was able to rank fifth in total deflections, sixth in total steals, and placed within the 95th percentile in defensive estimated plus/minus last season.
It's also why many believe he's on the verge of a true breakout in 2025-26, as well as getting a real shot at representing the United States during the 2028 Olympic Games.
Since joining the team as the 10 pick back in the 2023 NBA Draft, OKC fans have been well aware of just how versitile and well-rounded a player Cason Wallace is.
Right off the bat in year three, it's evident that those outside of Thunder nation are now finally starting to take notice as well.