Guarding LeBron James will certainly be a challenge for the OKC Thunder’s slew of defenders in their matchup against the LA Lakers in the second round.
For Cason Wallace, one of the Thunder’s defensive aces, James will pose a monumental task in the defensive end, but he vowed to remain unfazed.
“I’m going to put my best foot forward, no matter who it is,” Wallace said. “You know, good player, been here for a while, but doesn’t change what I do.”
“I’m gonna put my best foot forward, no matter who it is. You know, good player, been here for a while, but doesn’t change what I do.”
Wallace, who is only 22 years old and was born the same year James was drafted in the NBA, has been guarding the opposing squad’s best players throughout the season.
Aside from Wallace, the Thunder also has the likes of Lu Dort and Alex Caruso as other defensive options on the perimeter to give opponents different looks.
At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, James is physically superior against the Thunder’s defenders, including Wallace, who stands at 6-foot-3 and barely 200 pounds. However, expect the Thunder to stick with the defensive guys to hound James, who is a pivotal cog of the Lakers’ offense, which misses its leading scorer, Luka Doncic.
Thunder Big Believes Cason Wallace Is The Best Defender in the League
GettyCason Wallace gets high praise from Thunder teammate.
Thunder’s rim protector Chet Holmgren has a firm belief that his teammate Cason Wallace is the best defender in the NBA today.
According to Holmgren, in his interview with former Thunder player Serge Ibaka, Wallace can be a valuable on-ball and off-ball defender, making him crucial in stopping an entire squad’s offense.
“I think Cason Wallace is the best defender,” Holmgren said. “If you’re looking for somebody who not only can defend on ball, but off ball in the passing lanes, he can hound you 94 feet. He can get steals, but he can also play solid and just force you to miss a shot.”
Wallace averaged 1.9 steals per game in the regular season. He bumped that average to 2.0 steals during the Thunder’s Round 1 sweep of the Phoenix Suns off the bench.
The Thunder could assign him to guard Austin Reaves, who only returned to the Lakers in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers would have to find ways to create favorable matchups for the likes of Reaves and James to get their offense going against a notoriously defensive-minded Thunder.
LeBron James Wants to Protect Possessions Against the Thunder
GettyLeBron James is worried of possible turnovers against the Thunder.
LeBron James wants to avoid turnovers against the pesky Thunder in Round 2.
“One thing you have to do is to protect the ball versus those guys,” James said after Game 6 in Round 1. “They play physical handsy in defense. If you allow them to get a lot of pick-sixes and just ignite their own court. It ignites their team.”
James and the Lakers are entering the series as heavy underdogs, but the team looks to overcome the odds once more, the same way they did against the Rockets, when they missed Reaves and Doncic for a majority of the series.
Game 1 of the Lakers-Thunder series will be on Tuesday, May 5, in OKC.
Lakers’ LeBron James Does Not Faze Thunder’s Defensive Ace Ahead of Round 2