Coming into the year, people wondered who the five starters for the Thunder would be. Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, and Chet Holmgren were guaranteed to be starters, with the fifth starter being open. The Thunder had different options for their final spot in the starting lineup, with Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and others. However, due to injuries the Thunder have faced, their starting five has changed throughout the season depending on their matchup. Now that the Thunder are a little more healthy their starters have been pretty consistent over the last 10 games. Cason Wallace has been the fifth starter in the previous five games and eight of the last ten. He has also started 24 out of 37 games.
Wallace who was the 10th overall pick by the Thunder in the 2023 draft had an impressive rookie campaign. He averaged 6.8 points per game while shooting 49.1% from the field and 41.9% from three. In addition, he played in all 82 games as a rookie. This year the Thunder were hoping for Wallace to have a year two leap. Unfortunately, he has struggled throughout the season and never found his groove offensively like he did last year. However, that has changed in the last five games as a starter. Let’s dive into Wallace’s recent play and why he should remain OKC’s fifth starter for the rest of the season.
Why Cason Wallace Should Remain OKC’s Fifth Starter
Cason Wallace’s Last Five Game Stretch
Wallace has quickly made a name for himself in the NBA with his defense. He is one of the three point-of-attack defenders the Thunder have. However, this season, unlike last year, his offense has been a bit more inconsistent. Regardless, his last five games as a starter have shown flashes of the second-year jump the Thunder had hoped from him. In these previous five games, he has averaged 10.6 points per game while shooting 53.8% from the field and 53.3% from three. A big part of his inconsistencies could be due to him fluctuating from a starter and coming off the bench throughout the season.
His playstyle seems like it fits the starting five better than the other options. He is a great defender and can help cover the opposing team’s best player. This allows players like Jalen and Shai to not be forced to cover the other team’s high-usage players as Dort and Wallace can. In addition, his offensive game also flows better with the starting five as well. He is a good shooter from three and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. He is also becoming a better passer averaging 2.8 assists in the previous five games.
Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins Are Better Off the Bench
Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins were the other two players, along with Wallace who were rotating in that fifth starter spot. Joe and Wiggins haven’t started in nearly as many games as Wallace but have in certain matchups. Unlike Cason, Joe and Wiggins are better suited at coming off the bench. Joe is one of OKC’s best three-point shooters and has started in games when the Thunder need a more scoring push early on. However, when he starts it is hard for him to get the same looks as he does when he comes off the bench. He can sometimes be forgotten in the starting lineup and is better suited at coming off the bench to give the Thunder a three-point boost where they can run more plays for him.
Wiggins on the other hand has performed better as a starter than Joe has. However, he is still better suited when coming off the bench. Wiggins is one of the players who does a lot of things well and a role player many teams would love to have. Regardless, Wiggins coming off the bench and being that energy guy and scorer of the bench is best suited for this team. Wiggins and Joe are a nice one-two punch to have off the bench. Finally, when Joe and Wiggins do start they aren’t the defenders that Wallace is. This forces Shai and Jalen to use more energy on the defensive end.
What About Isaiah Hartenstein?
Hartenstein has been the starting center for the Thunder since Holmgren is out with an injury. However, when Holmgren comes back people will wonder if Hartenstein will remain a starter with how well he has played. Mark Daigneault will have a tough choice to make between Wallace and Hartenstein for that fifth starter spot. However, as mentioned above Wallace should remain that fifth starter with Hartenstein coming off the bench. This way the Thunder can rotate Hartenstein and Holmgren and always have a fresh center in at all times. The only games Hartenstein should start with Holmgren are when the Thunder are facing a bigger team like Denver, Cleveland, or Milwaukee.
The Last Word
The Thunder have the luxury with their depth to run a matchup-based starting lineup. This is exactly what they have been doing all year. However, now that we are almost halfway through the year. The Thunder should have a better understanding of who plays better as a starter. Since Cason Wallace has started in the last five games and eight of the last ten, it seems like the Thunder have changed their matchup-based lineup approach. Moving forward, Wallace should remain as the fifth starter as it is hard for players to be consistent when they are fluctuating from a starter and coming off the bench.
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