Thus far into the 2025-26 campaign, a ton of attention has been geared toward the likes of Ajay Mitchell, Isaiah Joe, and Jaylin Williams when it comes to the topic of who the biggest X-factors are on this 19-1 OKC Thunder squad.
However, lost in their proverbial shadows is arguably the club's most vital secret weapon, Cason Wallace.
Cason Wallace is Thunder secret weapon flying under the radar
Heading into the campaign, many were pegging the third-year guard as a serious breakout candidate. 20 games into the year, such a projection has certainly come to fruition, albeit in a quieter fashion than some may have expected.
Starting in all 19 games he's been active for, Wallace finds himself boasting career-best averages of 8.9 points, 2.5 assists, and a league-leading 2.3 steals while shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
The guard's impact goes well beyond a mere individualistic narrative, however, as his partnership with superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has actually made them one of the most dominant, two-way tandems the league currently has to offer.
The duo leads the entire league in total plus-minus (+181), while ranking in the 91 percentile in points per 100 possessions (123.7) and the 97 percentile in both opponent turnover percentage (18.9) and point differential (+18.8).
Wallace's domination may not be evident in the superficial counting stats, but it's well recognized when looking at advanced metrics.
Frankly, this has been the case throughout his tenure with the Thunder.
He may not have ever led the team in points per game, three-point percentage, or blocks, but his 200-plus steals, 200-plus three-pointers made, and 45.0-plus field goal percentage thus far in his career make him only the fourth player to post such metrics at the age of 22 years and 21 days old, according to OKC Thunder Stats' findings.
The only other players in league history to post such numbers are Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Jayson Tatum.
From sporting the fifth-best offensive rating on the team at 119.0 (minimum 10 games played) to holding the likes of Steph Curry and Luka Doncic to a combined 30 points on 33.3 percent shooting from the floor and 16.6 percent shooting from distance in back-to-back nights while on defense, it's becoming undeniable that Cason Wallace is one of the most impactful players on this Thunder squad.
So while all the chatter seems to be drawn toward high-scoring studs like Mitchell and Swiss Army Knife talents such as Williams, as far as the numbers are concerned, it's Wallace who's truly the biggest, non-star difference-maker for this league-best Thunder club.