Spending the last three seasons together, Cason Wallace has had a front-row view of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's NBA superstar ascension. The two-time MVP winner has made up for lost time as he's collected about every trophy and accolade you can think of in just a four-year run.
All Wallace knows is winning at a high level in the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the first seed for three straight years. Since his arrival, they've been a title contender with one NBA championship banner already hanging in the Paycom Center rafters.
Now, Wallace is expected to take a huge step individually. The Thunder have rolled out the red carpet. The 22-year-old will have every opportunity to become a full-time starter after being OKC's unofficial sixth starter in his
past three seasons. Moving on from Lu Dort this summer has opened up the starting backcourt spot alongside Gilgeous-Alexander.
If that materializes, Wallace hopes to learn more from Gilgeous-Alexander. He recently talked about his mentality on the 'Cousins' podcast with Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. That's an intangible only his Thunder teammates get to truly see behind the scenes.
"His confidence and his self-talk are unmatched," Wallace said. "If you miss a shot or if something doesn't go your way, how do you respond? His response is like, 'I gotta keep doing that. I don't care how many times I've missed it. I'm going to keep shooting it until I make it.' It's in game. It's crazy, bro."
That's part of the ethos of being a constant 30-point scorer. We're seeing one of the NBA's best scorers in their prime right now. Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 30-plus points for four consecutive seasons. Only a handful of all-time greats can say they've done the same — ala Michael Jordan. What makes him an even more special case is his superb efficiency. That hasn't dropped despite his Superman-esque workload.
In fact, Gilgeous-Alexander's efficiency is one of his top superpowers. Like Superman's heat vision. The scoring is what draws the headlines, but his low-maintenance nature of only requiring a small number of possessions to get his numbers is what makes OKC a machine. It allows everybody else to get into a rhythm. Heck, it's what has helped guys like Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell to blossom as scorers.
"The fact he doesn't take advantage of that as much as other people might," Wallace said. "Very humble. Off the court, great guy. Nothing bad you can say about him."
Gilgeous-Alexander's unique rise is the top reason why the Thunder are viewed as a constant title contender. Everything in OKC starts and stops with him. And as Wallace hopes to add more to his plate on offense, he can learn from the NBA superstar about what it takes to break down your defender one-on-one and create your own look.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Cason Wallace reveals what makes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander an NBA superstar
