This pick may not have a lot of staying power. With OKC’s financially motivated sacrifices of Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and, most recently, Lu Dort, the runway might be fully cleared for a Cason Wallace take-off. And it just so happens to be a perfectly timed showcase, considering this will be the last season on his rookie deal.
In some ways, the word is already out on Wallace. After all, there’s only so far outside the spotlight a player can stray while regularly logging significant minutes on a heavyweight contender. Plus, Wallace just snagged an All-Defensive second team spot as a third-year pro this past season while leading the league in total deflections.
It still seems like the collective has undersold his total package. While he can only show so much offense in a support role on such a stacked team, he did just blitz the Thunder’s playoff opponents to the tune of 48.4 percent three-point shooting. And in the 21 regular-season games where he logged 30-plus minutes, he tallied 78 assists against 34 turnovers.
Wallace might be too highly ranked to slot him any higher here, but he still deserved a top-10 spot. Folks know about his defense, but his offense is quietly creeping toward a full-fledged breakout.