Where OKC's Cason Wallace Stands Among His Sophomore Class

OKC's second-year guard, Cason Wallace, has been nothing short of great while healthy. He's played in 68 games so far this season and played in 82 games last year, moving in and out of the starting lineup during that time.

This season, Wallace averaged 8.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Last year, it was 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He showed improvement in nearly every single statistical area that he could show improvement in, while showing a much better feel for the game on both sides of the ball this season.

Wallace is a member of the 2023 NBA draft class that's full of solid players, but Wallace must be considered as one of the best of the bunch. San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is far and away the best of the group and it thought to be one of the future stars of the NBA, if he isn't already.

After Wembanyama, it's all about measuring the impact of these players. Nobody outside of Wembanyama has broken into star status quite yet, with Amen Thompson of the Houston Rockets and Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets arguably being the closest.

An argument can be made that Wallace, outside of the three named above, is one of the most impactful players in the class. When stacked up with other guards from the class like Utah's Keyonte George, Portland's Scoot Henderson and Detroit's Ausar Thompson, comparing the offensive and defensive impact of the group might just lean in the favor of Wallace.

For reference, all four players appeared in at least half of their team's games this season and averaged at least 20 minutes per game. Wallace is the lowest per-game scorer of the four and is attempting the least amount of shots per game. Wallace is more than capable of being an offensive threat, but that's not where he makes his mark the most.

During their two seasons in the NBA, Wallace is arguably the best defender of the group of guards and potentially the class. Wembanyama and Amen are elite defenders in their own right, but Wallace's quickness and strength, along with his instincts, place him in that same conversation.

It's important to know that the Oklahoma City Thunder don't need Wallace to be an elite scorer. They have more than enough of that and when Wallace does explode for a great scoring night, it's an added bonus. It's also very possible that Wallace would be a higher-volume scorer on a different team, but he's not asked to be in Oklahoma City.

Wembanyama will more than likely be the one to outshine everyone else from the 2023 NBA draft. Many will have long, important and productive careers from the draft and Wallace will be one of them, but as he gets more mature, expect him to continuously improve.

Wallace's season is still not done and the Oklahoma City Thunder are awaiting their postseason opponent for Round 2 of the NBA playoffs. They will play either the Denver Nuggets or the Los Angeles Clippers in that eventual series.