Whoever Gets Victor Wembanyama Should Make A Play For Cason Wallace

The defensive upside between a Wembanyama/Wallace pairing is substantial.

The biggest prize in the 2023 NBA Draft is obviously Victor Wembanyama, who some team will run away with after winning the draft lottery in May.

But for whoever lands Wembanyama, it might make a lot of sense to not call it a night, and do everything in their power to make an additional selection in the first round.

The targeted player? Cason Wallace.

Wallace is an extraordinary defender at the guard spot. And yes he's just a guard. You can play him at the point or the two. In some cases, you can even play the 6'4 stopper at the wing solely off his tenacity and ability to contest all manners of shots.

So why the Wembanyama and Wallace pairing?

For any team getting Wembanyama, they're immediately on the clock to find him the right supporting cast for the next decade. Winning will likely also become a factor sooner than later, in which case you need young players who can contribute immediately, and be assets to churning out wins within the first few years.

Wallace is just that. The 19-year-old swipes a pair of steals per game, and is one of the leading guard shot-blockers in the nation. But stats only tell part of the story. Wallace is a menace, with Marcus Smart type upside on the defensive end of the floor. He spots advantageous angles, has great awareness of what goes on off the ball, and generally makes life hell on offenses trying to generate any type of rhythm against him.

Kentucky doesn't rate high defensively as a team, with their offensive rating ranking just 143rd in the nation. However, one dare wonder where they would rank without Wallace.

In the NBA, Wallace and Wembanyama would present one heck of a problem for opponents from the jump, with Wallace funneling players towards Wembanyama, and giving them fits while doing so.

Teams would practically have to seek out different switches just to avoid having Wallace become the primary on-ball defender. When teams do that, it effectively works as when shot-blockers change shot attempts on the inside.

Wembanyama projects as an elite rim protector, so it only makes sense for the team selecting him to provide him with some perimeter assistance, as to optimize the team's defensive potential. Similar to how the Boston Celtics primarily have two-way players in their rotation, that similar approach must be used with Wembanyama as to avoid a Dallas situation, where the team has consistently failed to put a proper squad around Luka Dončić.

Wallace would be a major acquisition in that light, and a player who any team is going to fall in love with as a defender.

Offensively, Wallace has room to grow. He projects as a reliable shooter, and a decent table-setter, but he's probably never going to be a 20-point scorer or a top-tier dime-dropper. Fortunately, he needn't be given his adaptability to play multiple positions.

The Kentucky prospect is perfectly capable of playing in a system with a dominant point guard, a high-scoring two-guard, or a wing shot-creator, and that flexibility can be viewed as an asset all on its own.

One element that could threaten a possible Wembanyama/Wallace pairing is the pre-draft process. Wallace is currently viewed as a late lottery selection, but that could change. If he interviews well, and measures out better than expected, he could easily find himself taken higher. Would whatever team selecting Wembanyama have enough in their war chest to then secure the services of Wallace too? That remains to be seen.

Overall, however, teams should make the mental note that Wallace is the archetype of player there's a need of alongside the French sensation, and given that they're in the same age group, it would make sense to get out ahead of it.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

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