Thunder’s Cason Wallace: ‘I Want to Be a Household Name in This League’
Ever since being drafted by the Thunder, Cason Wallace has made his intentions clear. He wants to be an impact player on the basketball court and will do whatever it takes to get there.
From initial comments about being a “dog” and having unreachable instincts, to aspirations of being a player like Jimmy Butler, Wallace’s mentality on the court seems serious — no funny business. On the Thunder, a team with so many guards looking for playing time, his approach to the game and buy-in to the team’s mindset could be one of the first attributes that gives him early playing time. At Kentucky, he was known for his motor and elite on-ball defensive prowess, possessing a high basketball I.Q. and strong instincts. He seems confident as a player, and sometimes for rookies, that’s the biggest step.
In a clip that surfaced this week on Twitter via Playmaker, Wallace talked about his career goals. As you could guess, they’re pretty lofty and cover a multitude of areas.
“Being an All-Star many years, defensive player of the year a few times, national championship,” Wallace said. “I want a “MyCareer” career, if that makes sense. I want to be a household name in the league.”
“I’d tell the next generation, that no matter where you come from just keep your eyes on your goal. Don’t worry about the outside looking in, just worry about what you want to do and go get it.”
At Kentucky, Wallace averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. He stuffed the stat sheet in every offensive category. His biggest upside is still his two-way abilities, as he averaged 2.0 steals and 0.5 blocks for the Wildcats as the team’s starting point guard.
Wallace was a five-star prospect and one of the top rated combo guards in the country. Kentucky coach John Calipari knew right away he could be great, and believes he has a lengthy NBA career in store. Kentucky has a long history of successful guards in the NBA, and Wallace could be next. His lofty career expectations go hand-in-hand with his coach’s pre-draft comments.
“He looks like an NBA guard,” Calipari said in an interview with FOX Sports’ John Fanta. “I remember going to watch him after his AAU coach told me he was what we wanted, and man, it took me no time to figure out he was the perfect fit for us.”
“I’m happy for him. My hope is that he’s in that lottery, but he’s another one, I said this about (Tyrese) Maxey and (Immanuel) Quickley, the guys who passed on him will regret passing on him. He has all the intangibles to have success.”
Oklahoma City is certainly happy to have him, and if he achieves any of his lofty goals, it’ll be considered a draft night success for the Thunder.
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