Jalen Williams Guides Cason Wallace’s Defensive Growth for Thunder

Oklahoma City, OK — After earning the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month honors for October and November, Cason Wallace has been working closely with fellow All-Star Jalen Williams to enhance his defense skills.

Wallace, a third-year guard, has used veteran players like Lu Dort and Alex Caruso as resources. Williams, who is recognized as an All-Defensive forward, has pushed Wallace to compete against him, Caruso, and Dort in stealing the ball. Cason is currently averaging 2.2 steals per game, which ranks second in the NBA.

“It’s more just fun. We might have just started it joking around. He’s such a good defender, I was trying to get him to reach more in his rookie year,” Williams said. “Then, last year, he started trying it more and more, and he was getting a lot more steals.”

During the Thunder’s recent 124-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors, Wallace showcased his abilities with two steals and one block. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault noted the evolution of Wallace as a defender.

“It’s no coincidence that he’s continuing to evolve as a lockdown defender,” Daigneault said. “As time goes on, these guys gain more experience against players like Jordan Poole — they learn the league, and their instincts start to grow over time. He’s obviously got a gift on top of that.”

Daigneault added that both Dort and Caruso have significantly influenced Wallace’s development. “I think he’s gotten a little more intentional about his study and about learning the nuances of the game. Those guys are pretty tight,” Daigneault explained.

The Thunder will take a 13-game winning streak into their upcoming game against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.