Cason Wallace’s Versatility Will be Key for OKC Thunder
Midway through Cason Wallace’s season with the Kentucky Wildcats, a flip switched.
The former five-star recruit swapped from essentially the starting shooting guard — taking open shots and playing his patented style of high-effort, stingy defense — to point guard. While his scoring percentages sank, Wallace’s premier passing game and decision-making was allowed to shine in his new role.
And the versatility that made him a unique and impactful add for Kentucky is sure to shine through with the Thunder, too.
Drafted tenth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wallace's ability to toggle between the two positions, and potentially even more with a plus wingspan, will be relied upon heavily for OKC.
Even in Summer League that was apparent, with the likes of Wallace, Jared Butler, Ousmane Dieng, Tre Mann and more assuming lead ball-handling duties throughout the various contests.
While Oklahoma City prides itself on having five handlers and decision-makers on-court, for the most part, Wallace is likely set to hone his skills off-ball. For awhile, at least, he'll shoot open shots and function as a drive-and-dasher.
But when he’s called upon, similarly to his time at Kentucky, Wallace will be able to moonlight as a point guard. This time likely with the bench unit of Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Joe, Ousmane Dieng, Vasilije Micic, Aleksej Pokusevski and more.
While there’s always a chance Wallace can eventually insert himself as a starting guard, he’ll likely always need his versatility, as both OKC and the NBA in general are trending towards position-less basketball.
Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
