Without their NBA All-Defensive forward Jalen Williams, the Oklahoma City Thunder's top-ranked defense has been led by All-Star Chet Holmgren, All-Defensive guard Lu Dort, and Cason Wallace. In only his third season with the Thunder, Wallace leads the league in steals per game with 2.0 swipes in his breakout season. He's also averaging 8.6 points and 2.6 assists per game.
With only 15 appearances off the bench, Wallace is Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault's go-to option when a starter is out, which happens all the time in 2025-26. Wallace, emerging as one of the league's best on-ball defenders this season, has helped take on Williams' role in defending opposing teams' biggest scoring threats and has thrived.
Wallace, whose name has been mentioned as a shoo-in for the honor, addressed the significance of potentially earning his first All-Defensive Team honors this season.
“It'll mean a lot,” Wallace said. “It's nothing you chase, but with playing good games defensively, it'll be nice to have.”
Dort and Wallace are both prime candidates to make one of this year's All-Defensive teams. Wallace and Dort have locked down some of the NBA's elite scoring guards. As Cason's growth as a defensive stalwart alongside Dort makes the Thunder a favorite to repeat as champions, Daigneault's scheming can only improve between now and the playoffs.
Cason Wallace on difference between Thunder's last two seasons
For Cason Wallace, approaching the tail-end of his third regular season, there hasn't been much of a difference in the Thunder's approach. The defending champions, constantly looking for ways to improve despite hurdles such as losing Jalen Williams for most of the regular season, and Isaiah Hartenstein, who has missed 30+ games.
Starting for Thunder coach Mark Daigneault on most nights, Wallace has been a seamless fit amid interchangeable lineups.
“I don’t see a huge difference between last season’s run and this year. The goal is always going to be to win,” Wallace said. “As defending champions, we still show up every day ready to work hard and compete.”
While some were anticipating a championship hangover, which is the norm for most returning champions, the Thunder had the best regular-season start — 24-1 — in NBA history. Without Williams, who missed the first 19 games due to a wrist surgery, the Thunder soared to the top of the Western Conference standings, where it has remained steady throughout the 2025-26 season.
“I feel lucky to be part of such a great team, and I’m excited to keep the energy flowing through the end of the season,” Wallace added.
The Thunder, with a 2.0-game lead over the Spurs for first place in the Western Conference, will look to beat the Lakers at Paycom Center on Thursday.
Mark Daigneault's ‘committed' take on Cason Wallace's impact
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault highlighted Cason Wallace's commitment to the Thunder, which stands out most this season. With the highest winning percentage (.758) among active players, Wallace is one of the better complementary players in the NBA.
His multi-faceted game gives Daigneault the flexibility to weave Wallace into various lineups, making his presence so intertwined with the Thunder's identity this season. After Wallace connected on seven threes en route to a career-high 27 points in a 121-111 win against the Nuggets, Daigneault discussed Wallace's role.
“He's one of many guys on our team that plays his role really well on, obviously, a very good team,” Daigneault said. “His winning percentage as a pro is crazy when you look at Cason Wallace's winning percentage. But one of the things that comes with playing on a team of this level as a young player is that your role can feel narrow at times relative to your peers.
“If he was not on a team this good, he'd probably would be able to do a lot more, and his role would be a little wider. So, when you've got a guy that's that committed to that kind of role, is that committed to winning, and team success, having a night like tonight, everybody's happy for him,” Daigneault concluded.
It'll be a special day when Wallace gets to celebrate his first career All-Defensive Team selection, which at this point in his career feels inevitable for the 22-year-old guard.
