Cason Wallace Prospect Watch: Premier Perimeter Defender

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cason wallace on the court for kentucky
Photo via: Darrell Bird

The San Antonio Spurs will have plenty of choices when it comes to making a selection in the upcoming NBA Draft. While it seems like the Spurs are open to drafting just about any kind of impact player, one they should seriously consider is a lockdown perimeter defender. Kentucky’s Cason Wallace absolutely fits that bill and would make an immediate impact on that end of the floor.

The 6-foot-4, 193-pound guard was one of the few bright spots on a disappointing Kentucky team this year. He was the teams and one of the country’s best defenders this season. He showed a good amount of what he can do offensively as well to help a team and run an offense, even if it was dysfunctional — thanks to his coach — one at times. Here are his stats for the season.

  • 11.7 PPG, 0.5 BPG, 2.0 SPG, 4.3 APG, 3.7 RPG
  • 44.6 FG%, 34.6 3P%, 75.7 FT%
  • 18.5 PER, 113.8 ORtg, 100.5 DRtg

Cason Wallace Breakdown

Wallace is going to make his mark immediately on defense as he is a physical defender out on the perimeter and is strong. He has a frame that could still put on weight if needed is also quite intriguing. As you may be able to guess by his steal numbers, he anticipates passing lanes well and gets his hands in the cookie jar for strips on drives. He doesn’t find himself out of position often on defense and has an excellent motor. He doesn’t give up on plays and recovers well in the rare instance he’s beaten off the dribble.

His offense is fair and he is solidly in the combo guard category. He can’t create too much for himself as far as shots go and he doesn’t pass guys open often. However, he is excellent in catch-and-shoot situations. He was also solid from beyond the arc in an offense that asked a lot of him at times. He has a ways to go as a guard who can run the offense, but he can certainly add shooting and athleticism if he can get back to how bouncy he looked in high school. Especially since John Calipari’s offenses the last few years haven’t really showcased the athleticism of some of its better players.

Key Takeaways

Blow by speed and getting a quick first step on defenders will be a key development for the former Wildcat in the next couple of years. This should help him get even better in the parts of the game where he already excels. Being more comfortable shooting on the move will also do him some wonders.

Efficiency will be key for Wallace. This shouldn’t be too big an issue. He likely won’t be asked to do as much as he was in Lexington. Wallace is a consensus top-10 pick and should be available to the Spurs no matter where they pick. If his back injury checks out and he is looking like his old self, the athleticism and the defense will be an immediate boon for a team that struggled to shoot threes and did not defend particularly well.

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