Cason Wallace's Two-Way Prowess is Already Helping the Thunder in a Big Way
It's hard for rookies to carve out a role right away in the NBA. Even for lottery picks that remains true. Talented guys like Jarace Walker and Taylor Hendricks can't crack the rotation early, and Anthony Black just started ramping up his minutes. It takes time to adjust to the NBA's style of basketball.
Cason Wallace, however, was more NBA-ready than anyone could've predicted. He has been the perfect addition to the Thunder, and he's helping on both ends of the floor.
Over the first few weeks of the season, Wallace is firmly cemented into the Thunder's rotation and taking on the toughest matchups throughout the game. He's not just playing, he's being trusted on both ends of the floor.
Wallace has been tasked with guarding the likes of Steph Curry, Trae Young and Jamal Murray over the first week of his NBA career and has fared better than anyone could ever expect. On Monday night, he teamed up with Lu Dort to shut down Young and Dejounte Murray and recorded four solo steals in the process.
Through seven games, Wallace is averaging 23 minutes and recording 8.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He's shooting an unbelievable 68.8% from the floor and 54.5% from 3-point range. His efficiency will obviously slow down at some point, but his highs have been extremely impressive early on.
His basketball I.Q. and off-ball awareness on both ends of the floor have been eye-opening. He fits right in with the Thunder's talented core of smart basketball players. Wallace knows when to cut, takes care of the ball, and spaces the floor perfectly.
The draft pick just made sense when it happened. A hard-nosed, defensive-minded, team-first guy like Wallace was clearly going to fit in Oklahoma City. I don't think anyone saw it coming this early, though.
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