How Alex Caruso, Lou Dort turned Cason Wallace into a true defensive monster

Oklahoma. and home – Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason WallaceFive steals in Sunday’s 137-106 win against the New Orleans Pelicans prompted a coaching question Mark Daigneault he could not answer before being quoted Lou Dort and Alec Caruso. For a third-year guard who averaged 1.8 steals per game last season, it’s elite company to be in the middle of the defense the champion Thunder are 7-0 to start the regular season.

As for finding out what Wallace did during the offseason that led to him averaging 9.0 points and 3.0 steals over six games in the 2025-26 campaign, Daigneault said, ask Cason. However, from the Thunder head coach’s point of view, the experience gained from being in Dort and Caruso over the past year has made an impressive start.

“As time goes on, these guys get more experience playing against guys like Jordan Poole — they learn the league, they learn the snaps, their instincts start to grow over time, which I think comes from experience,” Daigneault said. “He obviously has a gift on top of that. You’d have to ask him what he’s doing on purpose.

“But I think he’s become a little more intentional in his study and learning the nuances of the game. I think Dort and Caruso probably helped him a little bit with that. 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 win. He started in place of Lou Dort, who was a late scratch due to illness. Oklahoma City’s 7-0 start ties last year’s record for the best start in franchise history.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “better” goal in the middle of the Thunder’s 7-0 start

Despite playing without All-Star Jaylen Williams and losing Chet Holmgren four games into the regular season, the Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sees growth in her team. For Gilgeous-Alexander, it’s a testament to lessons learned from a championship run and young players finding their stride at the start of their third or fourth season.

“We’ve had a year to improve, learn each other on and off the court, and it seems like we’ve had the edge on that this season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And honestly, we’re dealing with some injuries early in the year. But as we’ve gotten better — 1-15 — guys in the locker room, we’re able to plug in and play, figure it out as we go and still get good results. We’re definitely a better team than we were a year ago.”

The Thunder will be off to the best start in franchise history when they face the Clippers on Tuesday.