OKC Thunder: Cason Wallace’s Struggles to be Expected with Little NBA Experience

Cason Wallace was huge in his debut, but struggled mightily in Tuesday’s game against the Rockets.

After joining the Oklahoma City's Summer League unit, Cason Wallace’s dominant debut with the Thunder set up high expectations.

Wallace showcased his elite defense and even his offensive skills in his debut, which was highlighted by a half-court buzzer beater to end the first half. However, the highs were followed by struggles on Tuesday.

The young rookie point guard struggled to maintain the rhythm he found in his debut game in the Summer League, especially offensively. Wallace went 2-for-12 from the field, 1-for-8 from 3-point range and scored just eight points in Tuesday’s loss to Houston.

It would be easy to react negatively to Wallace’s struggles on Tuesday. However, taking into account his college career and the first Summer League game, it’s not likely this will be the Wallace OKC sees in the regular season.

Obviously, the efficiency wasn't great, but if Wallace were to average eight points per game in the regular season it would be a major win for the Thunder bench. Wallace will likely be one of the top bench guards for the Thunder this regular season. When the former Wildcat was drafted it was widely known that his defense was what would make him crucial to the OKC lineup immediately.

Wallace’s offense has shown flashes of the potential he has as an all-around guard, as was apparent in his Summer League debut. However, it is clearly a work in progress and he'll have his share of learning moments as was shown Tuesday night.

On a night where the Thunder rested most of their star young players on the Summer League roster, Wallace acted as the No. 1 option in the OKC lineup, which added pressure and called for him to do more than he’ll be called upon in the regular season.

The Summer League is a time of growth and experimentation, and Wallace is using it as just that. It won’t be immediate for the defensive-focused guard, but he has the upside to be a talented two-way player for OKC in the future. His role this season should help him develop the offense as he won’t be called on to be a top scoring option when he is on the floor. 

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