Tag Archives: Cason Wallace

The Future Is Now

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Before we get started here, lets talk about a few things as it pertains to Luguentz Dort. He is the longest tenured member of the Thunder roster, seeing as we signed him as an undrafted free agent prior to making the trade to acquire Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He has been here as we transitioned from a fools gold contender to an over-achieving playoff team to a full-on rebuild to NBA Champions to being the hunted. I’ll never forget Lu’s debut game.

We had just made the trade to jettison Paul George for Shai, Danilo Gallinari, and picks (lots of picks, juicy ones even). We made a move that many thought blasphemous in trading the King of the Prairie, the *then* greatest player in Thunder history, our Brodie, Russell Westbrook, for a seemingly washed up, flopping, complaining Chris Paul. We started off that season slowly, opening up just 1-4, and then 8-12 going into a road matchup against the 10-10 Minnesota Timberwolves. Dort entered into his first NBA game with OKC down 3 to start the 2nd quarter, and almost immediately, he forced a jump ball, which led to OKC gaining possession. He would then miss a layup, collect a rebound, and strip Jarrett Culver all within 3 minutes of action before he checked out. He returned to the game down 1 with 4:21 left in the 3rd and… nothing happened. He checked out about 2 minutes later, with not a single stat. He came back in with :30 left in the 3rd, and in :18 did nothing.

Tale as old as time, young undrafted kid gets his shot in the big leagues, has a couple of promising moments, but ultimately isn’t quite ready for the moment. Oh well, can’t blame Billy Donovan for trying. He would sit out for what seemed like the rest of the game, until he didn’t.

After a tough miss from Dennis Schroeder and a tough KAT rebound, the Wolves called a timeout with :17 seconds left in the game. Shai, CP3, Dennis Schroder, Gallo, and Steven Adams had all played great that day with the guard trio tallying over 100 points between the 3 of them. But in this moment they needed a stop, and none of them were most notably known for their defense. As the horn buzzed to end the timeout, you see Gallo take a seat on the bench and #5 walk back out onto the court in a defensive stance in front of Shabazz Napier. Napier gives him a move and heads towards the sideline, Josh Okogie whips a pass to Napier who has a step on Dort. He fumbles the ball, and out of instinct Lu lays out onto the floor to secure the ball and calls a timeout with :14 left to play.

What happened next is a thing of Thunder legend. The infamous Chris Paul/Jordan Bell untucked jersey delay of game call to put the Thunder within 2 instead of 3, the Hail Mary pass from Steve to Dennis on a go route, securing the catch and having the wherewithal to bank it in simultaneously as the clock expires to send the game to OT.

Shai would go onto scored 11 of the final 17 Thunder points (he was that dude, even then), the Wolves would only score 6 more points, and the Thunder would improve to 9-12. They would go on a run after that, going 31-12 going into the infamous Rudy Gobert covid game. And that win against the Wolves, the turnaround in the season, taking the Rockets to 7 in the playoffs, you can legitimately say is all because of Lu Dort.

Since then, we have had some truly iconic moments with Lu. The Dorty Fourty, the steal and lay up against De’Arron Fox, “can’t hit what you can’t see” against LeBron James, and many many more. Dort has been a fan favorite since that fateful day in Minnesota and has been a vital piece to this franchise.

Now that that has been said, lets address the linebacker looking elephant in the room.

Lu Dort, for whatever reason, has regressed in almost every statistical category.

In the 19 games he has played in (almost 1/4 of the season) Lu is averaging the worst FG% and 3P% of his entire career. Its heart breaking to see the ball swing, and swing, and end up in Lu’s hands in the corner, the fans expectantly bellowing “LUUUUUUUU” for the also collective “awwww” of disappointment, but that seems to be the case so far in this season for Dort.

It hasn’t been much better on defense, which is where Dort hangs his hat. He is averaging a career low in steals at .8 per game, as well as allowing a team high 46.7% DFG%. This means that when he is matched up with an opposing player, they are more effectively scoring on him than any other player on the team. In the past couple of season, Dort was at 41.9 DFG% and 44.6 DFG%, both near the lowest allowed on the team, for context purposes.

It gets worse, not only is he struggling individually on the court, but that is exacerbated when you look at it from the grand scheme of lineups. When Lu is on the floor, the team is hurt both offensively and defensively. They are 4 points worse offensively, which is kind of to be expected. What isn’t expected, and a bit maddening, is when a reigning 1st Team All-NBA defender is on the floor, the Thunder’s team defense is 6 points worse, allowing a higher TS% and creating less turnovers as a unit (which is one of this team’s superpowers). You put that all together, and the team is 10 points better, net rating wise, when Lu is off the floor.

Conversely, let’s look at Cason Wallace. The offense is better with him on the floor. The defense is better when he is on the floor. The net rating is better when he is on the floor. As a starter, he is shooting almost 10% better than Dort from the field AND from the arch. He leads the league in total steals AND steals per game by a significant margin. I tend to stay away from individual defensive rating, but he is in the top 8 in both defensive rating and net rating. He has made his way to the top 10 in DPOY odds, and is a LOCK for All-Defensive team. The ball doesn’t stop with Cason, opponents’ leads are not safe with Cason, and the ball is not safe with Cason.

That’s not to say let Lu go by the way side. This isn’t a call to action for him to be traded, cut, or excommunicated in any way. Its simply a call to action to shift from the old guard to the new one (no pun intended).

The game is constantly changing, and if you don’t adapt to those changes, it will leave you behind. The Thunder have seen this play out in previous regimes. Its been clear in every game by the eye test, and even backed up by the numbers, that Cason has been the better player for the Thunder at this point of the season. And even though Lu is only just shy of 27 years old himself, Cason has long been seen as a foundational piece for OKC with the possibility of being someone who could replace what Dort does on this team.

Again, Lu can still be an impactful player for us. Big game Lu is absolutely a thing. When he gets hot, he gets HOT. There is possibly no player in the NBA who is more annoying to have guard you. And we love him for that. *I* love him for that. We used to have a running bit on the pod (Topic: Thunder podcast, check it out), ok we still do, of when Lu has a phenomenal game saying “We love you Lu and we hope you’re doing well.” (Shoutout, Jerry). Ask me how many times we have gotten to say that this season…?

We have only lost 3 (three[*three*{THREE}]) games all year, and Lu didn’t even play in one. Is he the only reason we lost? Absolutely not. Did Anthony Edwards not literally just hit a game winning 3 pointer over Cason (albeit, while playing perfect defense)? Absolutely. Its not going to perfect, there are going to be growing pains, and that’s what the regular season is for. And for a coach that likes to explore the roster and experiment with rotations, it kinda feels like it’s getting to the point that its undeniable a change needs to happen.

As I myself have made the point to address, we DO NOT win a ring without Lu Dort. He got hot like never before in that game, and it came in a stretch that we needed him the most. All the while, being the fan favorite that had the crowd screaming “LUUUUUUUU” louder and louder with each passing make. And if Mark continues to start him, I myself will be tweeting/saying “LUUUUUUUU” right along with you when he inevitably hits 5 3’s in his next game after this publishes.

I love Lu Dort and he is forever a Thunder legend, but Cason has been better in every metric and if we want to chase history we have to adapt to what our eyes are telling us.

Both things can true.

The future is now.

 

 

Dallas Mavericks vs. Thunder preview (Game 23 of 82)

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  • Dallas Mavericks (8-15, 12th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-1, 1st in the West)
  • When: Friday, 05 December 2025 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: Prime Video
  • Offensive Rating: DAL: 107.6 (30th) / OKC: 119.0 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating: DAL: 111.3 (4th) / OKC: 103.8 (1st)
  • Net Rating: DAL: -3.8 (22nd) / OKC: 15.1 (1st)
  • Streaks: DAL: 3 W’s in a row, 5-5 in last 10 / OKC: 13 W’s in a row

The Set-Up

The decision for when to start a rebuild has to be an extremely difficult one for an organization. Sometimes, it’s self-inflicted. Sometimes, it’s thrust upon you unexpectedly. But it’s a decision fraught with potholes, pitfalls, and doubt. A decision that can set your franchise back years, possibly decades. And, yet, for most every team, it’s a decision that needs to be made once every 10-15 years. For Oklahoma City, the team knew they needed a refresh after the departure of Kevin Durant and the subsequent first round exits of the Russell Westbrook/Paul George-led teams. But that weird transitional season was also needed to get off the previous train and jump onto a new one. The season with Chris Paul, a newly acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, rookie Lu Dort, potential 6th Man of the Year Dennis Schroder, and Steven Adams is one that lives happily in the minds of many Thunder fans, but also one that helped position the Thunder for what they currently are today.

Which brings me to the neighbors south of us, down I-35. Dallas is in a weird spot where they have some of the pieces needed to jump-start a rebuild (Cooper Flagg and Ryan Nembhard), but also are in a holding pattern with older stars such as Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and the currently injured Kyrie Irving. They aren’t winning, but they also aren’t losing enough. These next few months before the trade deadline will be very interesting in Dallas.

This is the 2nd of 3 meetings this season between these regional rivals. OKC won the first meeting 101-94, in Dallas, in a game that saw the Thunder big men dominate on the scoreboard and on the glass. Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams combined to score 38 points and grab 30 rebounds, with 6 of those being offensive.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -15
  • O/U: 229.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Alex Caruso – OUT (quad)
  • Lu Dort – OUT (adductor strain)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)

DAL

  • Dante Exum – OFS (knee)
  • Daniel Gafford – Questionable (ankle)
  • Kyrie Irving – OUT (knee/ACL)
  • Dereck Lively – OUT (foot)
  • PJ Washington – Questionable (ankle)

Three Big Things

  1. Ryan Nembhard – Last season, in the Finals, no players on the Indiana Pacers, outside of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakim, had more of an impact against the Thunder than Andrew Nembhard. Dallas decided to take a chance on Andrew’s younger brother, Ryan, as an undrafted free agent this past summer. And over the past four games, all starts, Ryan Nembhard has been balling out and leading the Mavericks to a 3-1 record over that stretch. Nembhard has been averaging 17 points, 7.5 assists to 1.3 turnovers, and shooting an absurd 65% from the field and 67% from three over that 4-game stretch. The one game where he did struggle during that 4-game stretch was against the Los Angeles Clippers, who have big rangy defenders like Kris Dunn who can make life difficult for a smaller point guard. With Dort and Alex Caruso out, that onus will fall on Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell.
  2. Comfortable Dub – The more games Jalen Williams gets under his belt, the more comfortable and in rhythm he gets. He hit the 20 point mark in their last game against the Warriors, scoring 22 points. His playmaking has been in mid-season form, as he’s averaging over 6 assists per game in his first 3 games. And his shooting percentage was above 50% for the first time this season in their last game. Everyone is asking whether the Thunder should throw their hat into the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstake, but honestly, Dub coming back may be their important “acquisition” this season.
  3. Upset Potential – The Mavericks are coming into this game the hottest they’ve been all season. They are riding a 3-game winning streak, Nembhard, Cooper Flagg, and Anthony Davis are all balling out, and Dallas’ defense has been consistent. You can almost always throw records out when it comes to regional rivalries and the Thunder have the biggest target on their back this season. OKC has been a little unfocused over the past few games and if that continues, it could come back to bite them in the butt this game.

Sacramento Kings vs. Thunder preview (Game 5 of 82)

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  • Sacramento Kings (1-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0)
  • When: Tuesday, 28 October 2025 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: SAC: 111.8 (20th) / OKC: 113.6 (18th)
  • Defensive Rating: SAC: 114.0 (14th) / OKC: 104.4 (1st)
  • Net Rating: SAC: -2.2 (18th) / OKC: 9.2 (4th)

The Set-Up

It’s kind of crazy being a fan of a team who’s extremely proficient up and down the organization. From ownership to the front office to the coaching staff to the players (and this includes their G-League team), the Oklahoma City Thunder are as efficient as they effective. It’s always been one of their key tenants in building a team culture that targets purposeful action. Things that you see in other successful organizations: the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat, the Pittsburgh Steelers, etc. Organizations that from the top on down have an expectation and a plan to execute those expectations.

Annnnnnd then, there’s the Sacramento Kings. A team whose two decade-long status as a middling team has given rise to a nickname that acts as the alter ego to their wishes of a well run organization: the Kangz. The Kings of the early 2000’s that featured Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, and Doug Christie were the darlings of the NBA. Unfortunately, they ran into the beginning run of the Shaq/Kobe Lakers and were never able to scale that mountain. From there, it’s been flub after flub that has kept the team at or near the middle and away from the talent of the early lottery. When they’ve had the opportunity to draft high in the lottery, they’ve completely blown it (namely, 2018 when they drafted Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic). When they’ve gotten good young talent (De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis), they haven’t been able to build a team around them and sustain any type of success. Now, they are just trying their best to stay above water which will net them another middle of the pack season where they will be in the high lottery. Thank the basketball gods that I reside in Oklahoma.

This is the first of three meetings this season between the Kings and Thunder. The Thunder swept the season series last year, winning by an average of 23.7 points and have won five in a row against the Kings.

Betting Info presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -10.5
  • O/U: 227.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Chet Holmgren – OUT (back soreness)
  • Isaiah Joe – OUT (knee)
  • Thomas Sorber – OUT (knee – ACL)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (testicular procedure)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (wrist)
  • Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

SAC

  • Nique Clifford – OUT (hamstring)
  • Keegan Murray – OUT (thumb)

Three Big Things

  1. Strengths vs. Weaknesses – The Sacramento Kings are defensively weak on the interior. They allow 56 points per game in the paint (24th), 22.3 points off turnovers (28th), 18.3 second chance points (24th), and are last in the league in rebounds grabbed. Conversely, the Thunder score 54.5 points in the paint (10th), 22.3 points off turnovers (5th), and are 4th in the league in rebounds, which opens up the opportunity for 2nd chance points.
  2. Two-big Lineup – One of the biggest storylines heading into this season was whether the Thunder would continue to lean into the 2-big lineup or start to move away from it. Four games in, the Thunder have started the 2-big lineup in all the games and each of the big men is averaging a double/double. Last season, in 316 minutes played, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein had an offensive rating of 122.9, a defensive rating of 109.4, and a net rating of 13.5. This season, the offensive rating is 123.1, the defensive rating is 104.3, and the net rating is 18.8. In 2-man lineups that have played at least 80 minutes (20 minutes/game), the 2-big line-up is second behind the SGA/Cason Wallace 2-man lineup. In short, the two-big lineup is working much better so far this season.
  3. Russell Westbrook – There may not be too many more opportunities to see the King of the Prairie in his original field of play. Russell Westbrook was who OKC needed when they needed a hero the most. We all know what Russ means to the franchise. He’ll be the second number in the rafters and the first statue outside the arena. He’ll likely have a street in the city named after him. But we all saw how uneasy it was waiting for Westbrook to sign with the Kings a week before the season started. We don’t know when the end will come, but we all know the end is near. So appreciate any opportunity to cheer Westbrook on. On this team, he is no longer a threat like he was with the Denver Nuggets. Do what we do and give the man a raucous applause when he enters the game…because we don’t know how many more times we have to do this.

The Day After: HOU vs. OKC – Game 1 of 82 Recap

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Ring night. Banner night. And boy, was it a banner night. Not just for the Oklahoma City Thunder. But also for the NBA on NBC. Talk about an opening game to restart their new media relationship with their old friend, the NBA. The intro, the song, Michael Jordan. It’s like we never left 90’s.

Then the game tipped off and became an instant hardwood classic. In the end, the Thunder held on to win 125-124 in double overtime. With that said, here are some notes from the game.

  1. SGA is still him – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got off to an unusually slow start on Tuesday. The reigning MVP started off 2/5 in the first half and went into halftime with only 5 points. Despite this, it truly felt like a game where SGA was okay with taking what the defense gave him and trusting his teammates. Houston was using their length to crowd the paint and doubling SGA for the majority of the game. He only registered one assist in the first half, but his gravity allowed his teammates to get good looks, especially Chet Holmgren (we’ll get to him soon). The second half, though, was a different story. It started off the same, but SGA was able to shake loose on consecutive 12-foot jumpers, which seemed to open up the defense and gave SGA some rhythm offensively. After that, he was MVP Shai, and seemingly hit every big shot he had to in order to will OKC to a victory. Late in the 4th and during the OT’s, SGA hit shot after shot to either tie the game or put the Thunder up. His two free throws in double-OT were the game-winners, and fouled Kevin Durant out, which prevented him from being on the floor on Houston’s final possession. In total, SGA finished with his customary 35 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Just another Tuesday on the basketball court.
  2. Y’all must’ve forgot – Before going down with a broken hip in the 10th game of the year last season, Chet Holmgren was well on his way to a possible All-NBA, All-Star, DPOY, etc. type season. In those nine games to start last season, Holmgren was averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.9 blocks, while shooting 40% from deep on nearly four attempts per game. He was even garnering early MVP buzz. The Holmgren we saw late in the season and into the playoffs was still good, but you could tell that he didn’t have the ramp-up runway to shake off the rust from that type of injury. In the first half of this game, Holmgren’s offensive aggressiveness, especially against the zone, is what kept OKC in the game, despite SGA getting off to a slow start. His ability to get into the teeth of the zone (from the nail) and maneuver from there was huge for OKC staying resolute despite Houston’s length being very disruptive. When it was all said and done, Holmgren finished with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists, while shooting 40% from deep.
  3. Alperen Sengun – Thank God the Thunder have won a championship and have Holmgren in tow. Because if they were to be currently title-less, Sengun would be wrestling James Harden for the title of “the one who got away”. It’s always frickin’ Houston. Alpie was amazing in this game. Despite being on the floor with the current and a former MVP, Alpie, many times, looked like the best player on the court. If that 3-point shot is real, the league may have another Jokic-type monster on their hands. Sengun does a great job of noticing mismatches and taking advantage of them quickly. When the Thunder had Alex Caruso on Sengun, he would either take the three when the close-out was soft or try to back Caruso down when the close-out was aggressive. When Chet was on him, Sengun used his size advantage to back Holmgren to the basket. Sengun was also their go-to player in clutch situations. A great game in a losing effort for Sengun, who finished with 39 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and a block, while shooting 5-8 from deep and 10-11 from the line.
  4. Cason Wallace – That third year leap may be showing up for the Thunder once again. Wallace, like SGA, got off to an extremely slow start in this game. He was 0-1 in the first half and not overly aggressive. But in the 2nd half, Wallace transformed defensive energy into offensive rhythm, and started becoming a problem for Houston. (See what I did there!) Wallace registered all four of his steals in the 3rd and 4th quarters and helped keep the Thunder at arm’s length throughout the 2nd half. But it was his shot-making that was key to OKC winning. With 2:01 left in the 4th, Wallace hit a three that brought OKC to within one of the Rockets. Then in double OT, Wallace hit a three from the same spot as the one in the 4th with 1:32 left to give OKC a one point lead at the time. If Wallace can consistently put the “3” in “3&D”, the NBA may be in trouble.
  5. Western Conference – Once again, the Western Conference is going to be a bloodbath. Due to the age of many of the rosters, injuries (nothing major, just the nagging kind) may have a say in where teams finish. But if everyone remains relatively healthy, conference play is going to be a chore. Tuesday night showed us why the NBA opened up with four teams from the West. Cleveland and New York will get their shine tonight, but the class of the NBA resides west of the Mississippi.
  6. Ajay Mitchell – Remember the name. Chet Holmgren wasn’t the only player keeping the Thunder afloat in the first half. Mitchell provided some sauce off the bench for OKC. In 15 minutes, Mitchell had 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block on 3-6 shooting from deep. His 4-point play at the halftime buzzer may have been the play of the game and may have provided OKC with the momentum they needed in the 2nd half. With Jalen Williams and Nikola Topic out for the foreseeable future, Mitchell’s ability to handle the ball and play-make may be extremely important to OKC success early in the season.

The Source: Presti Quotables

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Back in the 90’s, magazines were all the rage for being in the know for whatever you were consuming. If you loved sports, there was a weekly dose of information called Sports Illustrated. If nature was your thing, National Geographic had you covered. World news…Time. Silly comics…MAD. If you were a music head, you were probably ordering a monthly subscription to Rolling Stones or Vibe. But you were a hip-hop head, your readable rotation probably involved magazines like Word Up!, XXL, and The Source. The latter of those had a section called Hip-Hop Quotables, where the magazine highlighted a specific verse or song that was lyrically chef’s kiss. If you were a rapper at that time, you wanted your verse to be featured on Hip-Hop Quotables.

If you’ve followed the Oklahoma City Thunder any in their 18 years of existence, you know that a Sam Presti press conference is usually good for several quotables. The man is well-versed in many forms of prose and can pull out a quote or lyric from the recesses of his mind. As the Thunder open up their championship-defending campaign, Presti once again blessed us with several quotables in preparation for the 2025-26 NBA season. Here are some from Thursday’s presser:

Shots fired at NBA commissioner Adam Silver for his comments regarding the cost associated with having multiple TV partners across multiple streaming services and his quip that content can be consumed for free on social media because basketball is a “highlight-based sport”. Presti, and in turn, the Thunder, have always prided themselves in being students of the game, and not just consumers of the moment. When you stack days and live a 0-0 mentality, highlights are just plays that happen in the moment.

Chess is often associated with intelligence and experience. How do you attack and then how do you counter. But, as Presti said, that’s assuming everyone is playing with the same players on the board. Chess would make sense if everyone had an MVP candidate on their team or a DPOY candidate that can step out and hit 3’s. But in reality, that isn’t the case. In poker, you are given a set of cards, and from there, you decide what to do. Six years ago, the Thunder saw the deck they had in hand, and decided to pivot (or fold) from that current state. And so began the rebuild. While it was uncomfortable (shitty hands) for a little, eventually the team came up aces with their young players and a championship was the end result. Presti knew when to hold them and when to fold them.

“My whole life is consistent.” Yep, checks out. Presti knows ball.

One of the staples of the Thunder ethos is “no agenda basketball”. Presti said that when describing Cason Wallace’s play when they drafted the guard in 2023. And he repeats that, in other words/phrases, of course, in describing Chet. What I love about “Presti-speak” is that he takes a phrase and then parses out synonyms that basically mean the same thing.

 

 

If you were looking for a theme for this year, it’s “turning the page”. Presti mentioned it  multiple times during the press conference and eludes to the fact that the Thunder can’t rest on the laurels of last season. Continuous improvement was also a theme Presti touched on multiple time during the presser.

Frickin’ bars, man. Stop guarding the past. Build towards the future. If this whole GM thing doesn’t work out for Presti, he’s got a helluva future as an inspirational speaker or life coach.

This is nothing new when it comes to Presti. In every preseason presser, he always stresses the goal is to put yourself in position to go after an opportunity if it presents itself. The Thunder have never been a “title or bust” team. It’s always been about setting yourself up to have the opportunity to compete for championships. To Presti, winning a championship does nothing to change that mindset.

 

These two quotes have to go together. With all the fear being stoked that the 2nd apron will eventually tear this team apart, the reality is that the Thunder are only just now in the beginning of their run, haven’t even dipped their toes into the luxury tax (and likely won’t this season), have their core signed for the next six seasons, and still have a treasure trove of assets. Not only that, but the ownership group has been saving money throughout the rebuild specifically for this moment and more money should be coming, in the form of possible expansion and the new arena. Oh, and the Thunder already have a championship in their coffers before they start getting financially penalized.

If your job has a mission statement, just keep repeating it if you are the boss.

And finally:

Keep smiling, champ. Keep smiling.

 

Cookies and Cream: How Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace are wrecking the playoffs

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We. Are. Back.

I know, last year we were here too, but it just feels different this year.

Yes, we were the 1-seed last year too. But this year we weren’t fighting until the literal final game of the season to try to secure it.

The arrival is here, and if the first 2 games of the Thunder’s round 1 series against the Grizzlies are any indication, it’s going to be here for quite some time.

It really feels like this could be our year.

And you just got to tip your cap to Sam Presti, man.

You have the front runner for the MVP.

You have 3rd year player who is an All-Star.

You have another 3rd year player who was playing like an All-Star.

You have one of (if not) the best perimeter defenders in basketball.

You have a behemoth in the paint to fix every weakness that doomed us the year prior, in addition to being a playmaking maestro.

Then you have the deepest bench in basketball.

From the marksman’s ability of Isaiah Joe, the offensive versatility (and the saving of basketball) of Aaron Wiggins, the hustle and toughness from Kenrich Williams, the steady play from Jaylin Williams, all the way down to 2nd round rookie Ajay Mitchell being able to play in the playoffs in his first year and actually have success.

That’s all well and good, and a big reason why the Thunder are favored to finally bring home the title. That glorious Larry O’B. Mm mm mm.

But I want to highlight the pieces off the bench that I believe are the most critical to the Thunder achieving the goal, and are as equally responsible for the dominant play we have seen in games 1 and 2 as anyone else of the roster.

Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso.

We at the Topic: Thunder podcast started calling Cason Wallace “The Cookie Monster” early in the season, in reference to A: he always seemingly had his hand in the cookie jar. And B: he was one of the league leader in steals (steals = cookies for the uninitiated).

As the season went on, and we started getting healthier through a season of turmoil and adversity, Cason and Caruso got to play together more. Which was a pure joy for Thunder fans, and absolute nightmare fuel for opposing teams.

Thats when we took the name and morphed it into “Cookies and Cream”. The whole cookie thing is still relevant, but you got Cason doing these rim rattling dunks in transition (like one would dunk a cookie into milk… anyone???) and Caruso is picking peoples pockets, tipping passes, challenging the post, blocking shots, diving on the floor. And he’s an old(er) white guy, so of course he’s the cream. Cream of the crop when it comes to the games most disruptive defenders.

Now you know why we call them that, but what we saw last night was them in action like we haven’t seen before.

Entering the 4th, the duo had had a solid showing so far. Cason had 3 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist, while Caruso had 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

The Grizzlies had just cut the lead to 11, and had a bit of momentum to try to trim away further.

Then Alex Caruso hit a 3.

A couple possessions later he forced a jump ball with Jaren Jackson Jr.

Immediately after, the Grizzlies get the jump ball, and Scottie Pippen Jr. is blocked by Cason.

On the other end of the floor, Cason blows by Zach Edey on a close out and finishes with a THUNDEROUS (see what I did there) flush.

A couple possessions later, Ja Morant drives to the right baseline to try to put up a shot over Isaiah Hartenstein, and ALEX CARUSO OUT OF NOWHERE comes to send his shot to the nether realm.

On the other end of the floor, Caruso crosses up JJJ, drives left shows the ball on a shot fake with his right hand, pivots and finishes the impressive floater.

A few possessions later, Caruso dives onto the floor to tip the ball out of Ja’s hand (MID CROSSOVER BY THE WAY?!?!) into Cason’s hands, who then outlets to Jalen Williams for the lay.

Alex Caruso checks out.

Thunder are now back up to a 20 point lead.

That’s just one example of the game wrecking abilities that Caso and AC have.

And as my oldest child who is now seemingly obsessed with the Mighty Ducks, it reminds me of another dynamic, game wrecking duo, that fed off the energy of the crowd.

Fulton Reed and Dean Portman.

Better known as the Bash Brothers.

When the Mighty Ducks were getting beat up, and run out of the rink, they looked to the Bash Brothers to tilt the game on its head. Their physicality and energy were contagious through the crowd and the rest of the Ducks, and it ended up being the spark that won them the game.

The Thunder haven’t yet needed Cason and Caruso in a win/lose playoff scenario, but the comparison is still on point.

When they come into the game, the defense steps up all across the floor.

In game 2 the tandem had a defensive rating of 88.2.

In game 1 they had a defensive rating of 65 (!!).

They just come in and do nothing but wreck the game, tear it to pieces. And whether it’s cutting into a lead or blowing it wide open, when they check in, they make things happen.

Call them Cookies and Cream, call them Allstate, call them Bash Brothers, I don’t care.

Whatever you call them, they are absolute game wreckers.

And they are going to be a huge reason the Oklahoma City Thunder will finally get that elusive Larry O’Brien trophy.

And who knows, maybe we’ll celebrate with some Cookies and Cream.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Thunder preview (Game 2 – 1st round)

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  • Memphis Grizzlies (0-1) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0)
  • When: Tuesday, 22 April 2025 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Series: OKC leads 1-0
  • TV: TNT/truTV/Max/FanDuelTV

The Set-Up

Utter dominance. This is what the Thunder did to Memphis in Game 1. In the first half, the Thunder scored as many points in the 2nd quarter as the Grizzlies did for the entire half. In the 2nd half, the Thunder scored as many points in the 3rd quarter as the Grizzlies did for the entire 2nd half. For the game, the Thunder had shooting splits of 50/35/93, while the Grizzlies managed a paltry 34/17/83. Memphis was the 2nd in total rebounds and 3rd in rebound% for the season. The Thunder outrebounded them by 11 in Game 1. The Thunder had 36 assists on 50 made baskets. The Grizzlies got turned over 24 times to the tune of 24 points off turnovers. They outscored Memphis 27-5 in fast-break points. It was a thrashing of monumental proportions. After the game, Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant had to reiterate, “We will never play that bad again.” Unfortunately for Morant, even if the Grizzlies get significantly better, it just may not be enough against the buzzsaw that is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -14.5
O/U: 228.5

Injury Report

OKC
Ousmane Dieng – OUT (calf)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)

MEM
Brandon Clarke – OUT (knee)
Zyon Pullin – OUT (knee)
Jaylen Wells – OUT (wrist)

Five Big Things

1. SGA – About the only thing the Thunder can improve upon in this game is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing better. He shot 4-13 overall and 1-7 from 3. While the Thunder didn’t necessarily need him to be the offensive engine that he is, if he plays a normal SGA game, it’ll open up the offense that much more. Which, for Memphis, has to be a terrifying thought.

2. Aaron Wiggins – If this is the Aaron Wiggins the Thunder are getting for the playoffs, start measuring the diameter of the Thunder players’ ring fingers. Wiggins didn’t even step foot on the court in the first 12 minutes of action. But as soon as he stepped on that court, a 3-pointer went in. After 21 minutes of action, he had registered 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists on 53/57/100 shooting splits.

3. Depth – The depth of the Thunder really showed in Game 1. It was just wave after wave of rotational NBA talent. Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, and Jaylin Williams would all be starters on a number of NBA teams. In Game 1, it was Wiggins that got the bench player of the game award. In Game 2, it could be Joe shooting the grip off the ball. In Game 3, it could be Kenrich Williams coming in and hitting some key 3’s in a tight road game. This team has been built brick by brick for this moment.

4. Quicker Pick & Roll Action – For Memphis, about the only thing that I could see working for them is quicker PnR action for Ja Morant. The PnR in the middle of the floor worked a lot better for Memphis than the action on the wings. This may mean benching Zach Edey and starting Marvin Bagley, who’s a little quicker on his feet. Giving Ja a roll man that is a little quicker than Edey may play more into Morant’s preference of pace, especially against the Thunder’s defense.

5. Dub – One of the biggest questions for the Thunder heading into Game 1 was how would Jalen Williams open up these playoffs. The expectations being heaped upon this third year player have been astronomical, but Dub came out in Game 1 and completely dominated to the tune of 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and a block. He was the head of the snake in the run during the first 8 minutes of the 2nd quarter that basically put the game to bed. If this is the confidence Dub will be playing with throughout these playoffs, watch out now!


Thunder @ Utah Jazz preview (Game 81 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (66-14) at Utah Jazz (17-63)
  • When: Friday, 11 April 2025 at 8:30pm CST
  • Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Offensive Rating – UTA: 110.4 (24th) / OKC: 119.1 (3rd)
  • Defensive Rating – UTA: 119.2 (30th) / OKC: 106.7 (1st)
  • Net Rating – UTA: -8.8 (28th) / OKC: 12.4 (1st)

The Set-Up

The balance that is rest vs. rust. In their last game against the Phoenix Suns, the Thunder sat about half of their main rotation for rest. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren showed why they are future superstars in the league and handled the Suns pretty easily. Tonight, the Thunder are stretching even further into the “rest” pool, only playing about 30% of their main 10-11 man rotation. The ultimate goal is no injuries heading into the playoffs, but with the Thunder being the No. 1 seed and having about a week off between the end of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs, you also don’t want rust to set in. It’s a puzzle, but it’s a good puzzle to have to solve.

This is the 4th and final meeting of the season between the Thunder and Jazz. The Thunder have won the previous 3 meetings, with two of those victories being by 27 points and the third one being by 9 points.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -9.5
  • O/U: 234.5

    Injury Report

    OKC
  • Alex Caruso – OUT (ankle)
  • Ousmane Dieng – OUT (calf)
  • Lu Dort – OUT (knee)
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (shin)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (Achilles)
  • Chet Holmgren – OUT (back)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
  • Cason Wallace – OUT (shoulder)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hip)

    UTA
  • Jordan Clarkson – OUT (foot – plantar fasciitis)
  • Isaiah Collier – Questionable (hamstring)
  • John Collins – OUT (ankle)
  • Elijah Harkless – OUT (groin)
  • Taylor Hendricks – OUT (leg)
  • Walker Kessler – OUT (concussion)
  • KJ Martin – OUT (illness)
  • Lauri Markkanen – OUT (knee)
  • Cody Williams – OUT (illness – mono)

Three Big Things

1. Ajay Mitchell’s return – After being out for three months, Ajay Mitchell returns back to the Thunder’s line-up in time for the playoffs. The turf toe and subsequent surgery caused Mitchell to miss 46 games in what was looking to be an All-Rookie campaign. The Thunder now have the final two games to see what Mitchell can provide out on the floor and game-plan to see if he will be in the rotation for the playoffs.

2. Perimeter Defense – The Thunder will arguably be without their top-7 defenders tonight. They may especially miss the perimeter defense of Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace. Due to Utah’s rash of injuries, most of their offense is being run through their trio of young guards in Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, and Isaiah Collier. Do the Thunder have enough defense to make life difficult for those three players?

3. Jaylin Williams – triple double? – The last two times the Thunder have had a “tank war” game, Jaylin Williams has ended up with a triple double. The back-up big man known for his passing usually shines when the majority of the offense is run through him in these types of games. Should we just put another triple double in the column for J-Will?

Thunder @ Sacramento Kings preview (Game 72 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (59-12) at Sacramento Kings (35-36)
  • When: Tuesday, 25 March 2025 at 9:00PM CST
  • Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
  • Offensive Rating – SAC: 115.7 (7th) / OKC: 118.9 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – SAC: 115.1 (20th) / OKC: 106.2 (1st)
  • Net Rating – SAC: 0.6 (15th) / OKC: 12.7 (1st)

The Set-Up

To understand how dominant the Thunder have been this season, you have to look at things from the perspective of player advanced metrics. When you look at Player Impact Estimate (PIE) and filter it for players who play at least 24 minutes a game, the Thunder have 3 players on that list (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jalen Williams). They are the only team to have three players in the top 35. As far as Offensive Rating, the Thunder have eight players in the top 50 of players who have averaged over 20 minutes a game (SGA, Chet Holmgren, Aaron Wiggins, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, and Dub). Defensively, though, is where they shine. The Thunder have eight players in the top 16 for Defensive Rating for players who have played at least 20 minutes per game. For Net Rating, that number goes 8 players in the top 15. It would almost be an understatement to say this team has been historically good this season.

This is the third meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder have won the first two meetings in convincing fashion, once in Sacramento and once in Oklahoma City. The average margin of victory for the Thunder in those two games was 27.5.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -9.5
  • O/U: 231.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Ousmane Dieng – OUT (calf)
  • Alex Ducas – OUT (quad)
  • Chet Holmgren – Questionable (hip)
  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (toe)
  • Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
  • Cason Wallace – Questionable (knee)
  • Aaron Wiggins – Questionable (Achilles)
  • Jalen Williams – Questionable (hip)

SAC

  • Devin Carter – Questionable (illness)
  • Doug McDermott – Questionable (elbow)
  • Malik Monk – Questionable (illness)

Three Big Things

  1. Double Big – If Chet Holmgren returns tonight, this will be a good test for the double big lineup. Isaiah Hartenstein should be the Domantas Sabonis assignment, while Holmgren will have to stick onto Keegan Murray. In addition, the Kings can also trot Jonas Valanciunas out there to compete with the Thunder’s size. But as we’ve seen in the past, the Thunder would likely welcome the Valanciunas minutes with open arms.
  2. Perimeter Defense – The Kings are a mid-range oriented team. They score 60.7% of their points from 2-point range (8th in the league) and just 29.3% of their points from 3-point range (23rd in the league). For comparison, the Thunder are league average at 58% of their points coming from 2 and 42% coming from 3. That’s to be expected when two of your main offensive engines are Sabonis and mid-range king DeMar DeRozan. In addition, if Malik Monk plays, he always seems to give the Thunder fits as a microwave scorer.
  3. First to 60 – The Thunder are one of three teams in the league that still have a chance to hit the 60-win mark (Cleveland and Boston are the others). A win tonight gives them the first place ribbon in that race.

Let It Rip: Why you’re probably overreacting about Shai’s 3 ball

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins Feb. 6 to Feb. 12 Western Conference Player of the Week - Yahoo Sports

We have been blessed as a fanbase to see a superstar blossom right in front of our eyes in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The centerpiece of the Paul George trade, we have watched him go from bench guy, 3rd option, to running the show. And run it, he has.

Over the last four seasons, Shai has led the league in drives per game in three of those four seasons. Shai has boasted the efficiency of a wing player, shooting over 50% from the field and averaging about six free throw attempts per game.

Because of this, the fanbase, and the NBA at large, have associated Shai’s game to three things: driving to the basket, shooting the mid range jumper, and getting to the free throw line. 

And he’s been pretty good at it. Averaging over 30 points per game in each of the past two seasons, Shai is widely considered one of the top 5 player in the world and is on the shortlist for MVP for everyone who has a pulse.

So, going into his 7th season, fresh off back to back All-Star appearances, being named a starter in the All-Star game, and being a back to back 1st Team All-NBA recipient, many people think Shai should just stick with what got him there, and leave well enough alone.

But that’s not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

He summed this up in 2021, with a banger of a quote.

“I’m not playing this game just to be a good basketball player. I want to be one of the greatest to ever play.”

He is always adding to his game. Whether it was the stepback, catch and shoot 3, off ball defense, playmaking, etc., Shai has gone into the lab every offseason, and every offseason he comes out acting different.

I imagine him stepping into a lab (for some reason this one I’m picturing in my head has automatic sliding doors) normal Shai, but after some time,  when he emerges from the sliding doors, smoke billows out of the room with a green haze in the background, and somewhere, somehow, an organ is playing and angels are singing. Anyways, back to the point.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legit MVP candidate - BALLERS.PH

Is it awesome that he is a top 5 player in the world right now? Absolutely. Would it be easy to just continue what he’s doing now? Absolutely. Could he have similar success doing exactly what he has done the past couple of seasons? Absolutely. (Topic: Thunder listeners have drank themselves into a coma with all the absolutely) BUT, Shai doesn’t want what he already has, Shai isn’t ok with the status quo, Shai doesn’t want to just go through the motions and be remembered as just another good player.

He’s on some Ash Ketchum energy. This dude wants to be the very best, like NO ONE ever was.

So yes, he will continue to add to his game, and we have the fruits of those seeds he planted the offseason (IN THE LAB).

He looks engaged and disruptive when he is playing on ball defense.

His playmaking reads are sharper than ever, and he’s making passes we have never seen him make. Live dribble skip passes from one end of the court to the other, one hand dump offs to a cutter, hitting the roller in stride, hitting the shooters in their pockets; consistently.

But one addition to his game that has been met with uproar and outrage by a large (and troubling) portion of the Thunder fan community, is his increased 3 point shooting volume.

First off, it fits Sam Presti’s ethos to a T. Exploration, and experimentation are the reason you see the roster you see today for the Thunder. Presti has tried things, failed at things, and succeeded at things. All in all, he collected data, learned from his mistakes, enforced his correct decisions, and now we have a juggernaut in Oklahoma City.

It’s not different with Shai. Yes, that dude is and has been unguardable, but if he learns how to shoot high volume, off dribble, pull up 3-pointers, he will become unstoppable.

It adds a new weapon to your offense that opponents have to account for. They can’t build a wall in the paint and dare Shai to shoot middy’s over it. Shai can force them to play him close, and then it’s curtains. Play him to close, he’s blowing by you. Sag off on him just enough, and he’s comfortable and confident to pull that 3 in your eye; without having to first simulate the drive and get to his stepback.

That’s the why he should do this, (which I feel should be fairly obvious?), let’s get into the why now.

It’s simple. We are 4 games into the regular season.

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