Sam Presti was particularly happy to have managed to get his hands on Cason Wallace, with the 10th choice of the last Draft. By agreeing to recover the contract of Davis Bertans, the Thunder, who had the 12th choice of the vintage, managed to move up two places to bring in the former point guard/back from Kentucky.
We mainly talked about the defensive profile of the strong rookie (1m93), but Cason Wallace very quickly established himself in Mark Daigneault's rotation thanks to his offensive efficiency.
“The reason we trust him is because he is very effective offensively” confirms his coach. “He takes the right shots. He circulates the ball. He is excellent at stretching the field. He can do a lot of different things – space the floor, cut, set screens. Then, defensively, he can defend and defend reliably. Players who fight like that and play like that improve quickly, so we're pushed to give them lots of minutes when they maximize them. »
Promoted to the 6th man in Oklahoma City from his debut, the former Wildcat made few mistakes, even though he was called upon to defend against the best opposing outside players, from Stephen Curry to Trae Young.
Even Oklahoma City is surprised
“It’s a blessing to be able to defend against some of the best players in the world, and that’s my job every night. That's great “ he explains soberly. ” It's funny. »
Like Chet Holmgren, another rookie, Cason Wallace has slipped perfectly into his role in Oklahoma City, currently 2nd in the Western Conference (15 wins – 7 losses). Mark Daigneault still admits that he didn't expect the former Wildcat to be so clean: 59% shooting success, including 52% from 3-point range!
“I think there are a few things that surprised us in terms of his finishing and his efficiency. His skill is, obviously, excellent while he seems comfortable offensively and within the team. And that's something you can't really anticipate, until you see the player on the field. »
| Cason Wallace | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | OKAY | 22 | 22 | 59.1 | 52.1 | 80.0 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 7.6 |
| Total | 22 | 22 | 59.1 | 52.1 | 80.0 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 7.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
