Thunder rookie Cason Wallace earns praise from Mark Daigneault for poise, toughness
Earning a spot start in place of Lu Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Cason Wallace stepped up with a career effort and earned praise from coach Mark Daigneault after defeating the Utah Jazz.
Wallace produced 16 points, four assists, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot in the 134-129 victory on the road. He went 6-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, in 32 minutes in his seventh start of the season.
The 10th pick provided the team with a lift on offense and defense. He drew the task of guarding the likes of Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson and held his own in those matchups.
Daigneault liked how Wallace took on those assignments.
He is not flinching. He has really been like that from the get-go. He takes on pretty major matchups. Sexton is playing as well as anybody right now and he guarded him and had his chest on him on a lot of plays. These are great experiences for him. He is very early in his career and a young player but (has) just great poise and mental toughness.
Wallace is averaging 6.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 41.4% shooting from 3-point range in 41 games. He has scored in double figures 12 times this season and ranks 24th in the league among all players in 3-point percentage.
The 20-year-old has filled various roles, from starting to contributing to the second unit. He has impressed the team since early in training camp, and has earned the trust of his teammates and coaching staff to play a large role this season.
His overall numbers may not earn him a place on an All-Rookie team, but the former Kentucky standout is contributing at a high level nightly. The team knows Wallace will bring energy and effort every game, which will be needed throughout the year.
“Cason is who he always is: Super steady,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 31 points. “He knows what he brings to the game. He knows his job every night and does it at an A-plus level every night. Whether the ball is going in or not, he always brings toughness, physicality and good decision-making to the floor.”
