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During the 2023 NBA Draft, Sam Presti climbed up two spots to select Cason Wallace with the 10th overall pick. A draft night swap sent Wallace and Davis Bertans to Oklahoma City and Dereck Lively II (Pick No. 12) to the Dallas Mavericks.
As Adam Silver announced the Thunder grabbed another guard, an audible groan was heard from many corners of Bricktown. It does not matter what letter you put in Wallace's position column. If anything, it should be "D" for Dawg.
From the moment he wore a Thunder jersey at NBA Summer League, it was clear that the Kentucky guard would become an instant fan favorite. His hard-nosed defense, instinct, and overall grit endeared him to a blue-collar fanbase. Couple those qualities with his shooting stroke, and you see why bench boss Mark Daigneault and Wallace's peers have not been able to stop complimenting the rookie since he waltzed into the building.
The 6-foot-4 guard is able to fly around the court, creating chaos on both ends. From his constant point-of-attack pressure on the ball handler, to jumping passing lanes, and skying into the paint to high-point rebounds, Wallace is able to make a massive overall impact on the game stealing away possessions for Oklahoma City.
Wallace is off to a great start in his NBA career averaging 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 stocks through his first 50 career games. The rookie is shooting 51 percent from the floor, 41 percent from 3-point land, and 83 percent at the charity stripe.
When Mark Daigneault inserts Wallace into the starting lineup in a pinch, the 20-year-old leaves his mark to the tune of 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, has collected five blocks and five steals in those nine games.
Wallace is just scratching the surface of his NBA potential. At the start of this season, he was mainly used as a play-finishing off-ball player who typically camped in the corner or cut off the ball to be a safety net for the Thunder offense.
As of late, Wallace has gotten more comfortable playing with offensive force, specifically as a playmaker, which has flashed at the college level.
In his last seven games, Wallace is averaging nearly two assists per contest, but is also creating more for himself off the dribble. From attacking overzealous closeouts, to nailing stepbacks, the Dallas, Texas native has really impressed.
Wallace is shooting 43.5 percent on dribble jump shots, is finishing at the rim at a 70 percent clip (90th percentile according to Synergy), and still turning in 43 percent shooting on catch-and-shoot jumpers despite his uptick off the bounce.
As he gets more comfortable as an on-ball creator for himself and others, his overall production will rapidly rise.
There is a reason Daigneault trusts the youngster to handle a heavy workload this season, and for a team that is currently atop the Western Conference that is a huge show of confidence in the rookie.
More must-reads:
- Pacers ride historic shooting performance to Game 7 blowout of Knicks
- Disappointing end to playoffs doesn't diminish Knicks' bright future
- The 'Most triple-doubles in the postseason' quiz
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