OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace's five steals in Sunday's 137-106 win against the New Orleans Pelicans evoked a question coach Mark Daigneault couldn't answer before citing Lu Dort and Alex Caruso. For a third-year guard who averaged 1.8 steals per game last season, it's elite company to be around amid the defending champion Thunder's 7-0 start to the regular season.
As far as finding out what Wallace did during the offseason that's led to him averaging 9.0 points and 3.0 steals six games into the 2025-26 campaign, Daigneault said, ask Cason. However, from the Thunder's head coach's point of view, experience gained by being around Dort and Caruso over the past year has yielded an impressive start.
“As time goes on, these guys gain more experience when they play against guys like Jordan Poole — they learn the league, they learn the pictures, their instincts start to grow over time, which I think comes from experience,” Daigneault said. “He’s obviously got a gift on top of that. You'd have to ask him in terms of what he's doing intentionally.
“But I do think he's gotten a little more intentional about his study, and about learning the nuances of the game. I think Dort and Caruso have probably helped him with that to a degree. Those guys are pretty tight,” Daigneault concluded.
Cason Wallace finished with 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep and one assist in the Thunder's blowout win. He started in place of Lu Dort, who was a late scratch due to illness. Oklahoma City's 7-0 start ties last year's record for best start in franchise history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ‘better' take amid Thunder's 7-0 start
Despite playing without All-Star Jalen Williams and losing Chet Holmgren four games into the regular season, Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sees growth in his team. For Gilgeous-Alexander, it's a testament to lessons learned from a championship run and to young players finding their strides at the start of their third or fourth season.
“We've had a year to get better, learn each other on and off the court, and it feels like we've had a head start in that this season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And honestly, we're dealing with some injuries to start the year. But because we've gotten better —1 through 15 —the guys in the locker room, we're able to plug-and-play, figure it out on the fly, and still get good results. We're definitely a better team than we were a year ago.”
The Thunder will go for its best start in franchise history when it faces the Clippers on Tuesday.
