Why is OKC Thunder rookie Cason Wallace a go-to, fill-in starter? 'He can guard up'

By now, rookie Cason Wallace has become a lock for the Thunder when one of its starters is missing.

In a 129-120 loss to the Lakers on Saturday night, that was Josh Giddey, who missed the game with a left ankle sprain he suffered earlier in the week.

Wallace has flashed solid potential. So much that perhaps not too many people questioned his start Saturday. The Lakers new lineup of Cam Reddish, LeBron James, Taurean Prince, Jarred Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis raised those questions instead.

Not about who Wallace should be now, or what he was missing Saturday — he’s been a good role player and has found a fascinating trajectory with the team. But perhaps what the Thunder could’ve tried its hand at to kill two birds with one stone.

Match the Lakers’ length and supplement the deficiencies, stretch the floor and possibly size up well. When asked how he weighed Kenrich Williams’ value and the possibility of him starting in a game like Saturday’s, Daigneault thought through his decision making.

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“I mean, not enough obviously to do it,” Daigneault said. “But I thought Cason is a really good defender, he can guard up, Dort can guard up. We have confidence in those guys. We should have some advantages as well by playing like that.”

Williams added 11 points and five assists while going 3 for 4 from deep in 23 minutes. Who knows if he would’ve disrupted LA’s rhythm as soon as the opening tip, or if he even would’ve changed the course the Thunder spiraled toward?

The Thunder is still shifting in hopes of optimal lineups and looks that work against most, if not every team. But the Lakers pose an interesting, foreshadowing challenge. Their level of size and physical presence, the kind that can grow more daunting in a playoff series.

Perhaps trying Williams even earlier than his late first-quarter substitution could’ve meant something. Or it could’ve meant nothing. Perhaps OKC still seeks the player it can deploy to bandage multiple cuts in a matchup like Saturday’s.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder rookie Cason Wallace's defense gives him starting value