There isn’t a team in the NBA that has done as good of a job as the Oklahoma City Thunder in recent years of stockpiling young talent. The Thunder tore their roster down to the barebones in a rebuild and are now beginning to reap the fruits of their labor.
General manager Sam Presti took things to the extreme, as Oklahoma City was trotting out lineups with players that even diehard NBA fans would struggle to identify. But, those seasons of losing a ton of games is now beginning to look worthwhile.
The Thunder are currently second in the Western Conference with a record of 17-8. They have a star leading the way in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an excellent supporting cast around him that is loaded with young talent.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Cason Wallace & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Davis Bertans, who is 31, is the oldest player on the team and the only one not in their 20s on the roster. There are only two other players, Vasilije Micic and Kenrich Williams, who are over the age of 26; both players are 29.
While a lot of attention has been given to Chet Holmgren in what is his rookie season after missing his entire first campaign because of a Lisfranc injury, he isn’t the only youngster producing at an impressive clip for the Thunder. Another rookie, Cason Wallace out of Kentucky, has been making a name for himself.
Wallace, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has been an immediate contributor to the Thunder. While many draft analysts thought his impact early in his career would be as a defender, he has proven to be a two-way contributor right off the bat.
That playmaking ability on defense has been present as he has 14 steals and 11 blocks in 25 games despite playing only 21.8 minutes per game. What has made Wallace an integral part of the Thunder’s rotation has been his ability to knock down shots with frequency.
In one season with the Kentucky Wildcats, Wallace shot 44.6 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from 3-point range and 75.7 percent from the foul line. Thus far in his NBA career, he has blown those shooting numbers away.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Cason Wallace & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Wallace is making 57.9 percent of his shots overall and a scorching 50 percent on 3-point attempts. While he hasn’t attempted many free throws, he has been solid there as well, making 80 percent. His true shooting percentage of 70.1 is the best in the NBA for any rotation player shorter than 6’8”; Wallace is listed at 6’4”.
Currently leading the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, Wallace is on pace to become the first rookie to achieve that feat since Anthony Morrow. Morrow shot 46.7 percent during his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors in the 2008-09 season.
Wallace, combined with Isaiah Joe, gives the Thunder a backcourt pairing that can quickly fill up the bucket from long-range coming off the bench. They provide the team with much-needed spacing, allowing Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren to damage inside the arc.
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