Cason Wallace’s Versatility On Full Display in Summer League
It’s only been five days since Cason Wallace played his first Summer League game. In that short amount of time, the 6-foot-3 guard from Kentucky has flashed his ability to play both on, and off, the ball, showing what makes him such a versatile prospect.
While his averages aren’t all that appealing, Wallace’s overall skill set and his approach to the game help him stand out amongst the array of guards he’s played with in Summer League play.
Through his first three games, Wallace is averaging just 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
But in his first game, he showed exactly the kind of impact he can have as an off-ball threat, knocking down six of his 10 attempts from behind the arc to help the Thunder get past the defensive-oriented Dallas Mavericks.
It wasn’t just simple catch-and-shoot shots, either. Wallace was cutting, relocating, and freeing himself up before firing off-balance, and sometimes contested, 3-pointers, highlighting his upside as a movement shooter — an impressive showing for a 19-year-old.
Responsibilities shifted for Wallace in his second outing as the Thunder rested most of their heavy-hitters.
Becoming more of a focal point on offense versus an older, more seasoned, Houston Rockets team, Wallace finished with just eight points on 2-of-12 shooting while also committing five turnovers. However, it’s hard to put a lot of stock in those numbers since the entire team went just 5-for-33 from behind the arc, indicating a lack of spacing.
And then there is his most recent game against the Pacers where Wallace both took on the role of a connector and initiated the offense at times.
The 10th overall pick looked quite content to simply find the open man or swing the ball to keep the offense flowing, leading to four assists in the first half. When he did look for his shot, it was in the flow of the game, too, highlighting his unselfishness and intelligence.
While he only finished 2-for-7 on the night, he showed off his ability to hit tough shots. For his first bucket, Wallace hit a 16-foot pull-up jumper despite the Pacers’ Isaiah Wong draped all over him. Then, Wallace drove hard to the hoop on Wong before wrapping his arm around to drop in a floater for his second bucket.
Overall, Wallace’s ability to fill multiple roles within the Thunder’s offense makes him a versatile weapon that can be inserted into a multitude of lineups.
But, with Wallace showing more comfort when operating off-the-ball, he might be best playing alongside bigger creators such as Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander where he can act as a secondary, or tertiary, ball-handler while being able to space the floor and attack closeouts.
Wallace does have some on-ball juice, too. It make some time for him to figure out how to leverage it properly at the next level, but his knack for hitting tough shots and finishing around the rim combined with his tight handle and sound decision-making and passing chops could help him grow in that area.
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