Cason Wallace has emerged as a key contributor with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the 10th pick is making an impact on both ends of the floor thus far.
Wallace is averaging 7.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 52.1% shooting from 3-point range in 22 games. He leads the league in 3-point percentage and is second among first-year players in plus-minus (plus-103), just behind teammate Chet Holmgren.
The 20-year-old has filled various roles, from starting to contributing to the second unit. He impressed the team early in training camp and has earned the trust of his teammates and coaching staff to play a large role early.
Mark Daigneault explained how Wallace has earned the trust of the team.
The reason we trust him is he is very efficient on the offensive end of the floor. He takes the right shots. He keeps the ball moving. He is a great spacer. He can do a lot of different things — spaces, cuts, screens. Then, defensively, he can guard and guard reliably. Guys that compete like that and play like that improve quickly, so we’re incentivized to give them a lot of minutes and experience when they maximize their minutes.
Wallace entered the league known as a stout perimeter defender and has shown that ability each night he has taken the floor. From picking up the length of the court to helping out on the weak side, Wallace has dazzled on defense.
He has drawn some rather tough defensive assignments and the team believes he can hold his own in any matchup. He has guarded Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Trae Young and enjoys matching up with players of that caliber.
“It is a blessing just being able to guard some of the best players in the world, and that being my job every night is good,” Wallace said on Tuesday. “It is fun.”
CASON WALLACE 👌 pic.twitter.com/lC9FRWMS7O
— Topic: Thunder Podcast (@OKCTopicThunder) December 12, 2023
The Thunder did extensive homework on Wallace before the draft and haven’t been surprised by his effectiveness in the early going. They have liked how Wallace has fit into their system and adjusted to his teammates.
“I think there are a couple of things that surprised us in terms of his finishing and how efficiently he has done that,” Daigneault said. “His shooting has, obviously, been great and how comfortable he looks on the offensive end and functioning inside of the team. That is something you don’t really know until somebody gets out there. He has done a really nice job with that.”
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