Selected 10th overall by Dallas, Cason Wallace was promptly traded to Oklahoma City. Wallace was a highly touted prospect and now joins a team that is on the verge of breaking out with its young core and surplus of draft picks. The young guard talked with HoopsHype about playing for coach John Calipari, his fit alongside Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, his ability to adapt to play different styles, and more.
Wallace was one of many rookies and players that competed in a Call of Duty competition during the first weekend of Summer League. Like we covered in the Jordan Hawkins interview, about 100 NBA players participated over a two-day span to take home a $10,000 prize.
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Cason Wallace: I feel like the physicality. Being able to play physical and not being afraid of contact helps you defensively and offensively when you jump into the rim like you get a foul but you still playing through it.
CW: A little bit of both. Football, I was like, playing safety, linebacker. You read the quarterback you’re reading what the offense is going to do. So just being able to pick up on stuff like that and just see it before it happens.
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CW: Probably stay true to yourself. Make sure that outside noises aren’t dictating what you want to do and influence your decisions. Make sure what you’re doing is what you want to do.
Yeah, it’s a long season. The NBA season is twice as long, so I know that you can’t get down too far on the loss and your team is going to help you get through it pretty much. The stronger y’all are off the court, the better you’ll be on the court.
CW: Yeah, a little bit, and I was excited for that. But I also came to another spot that I really want us to come to so I feel like I couldn’t lose in the situation. So I’m glad that I’m with OKC, and we going to have fun next year.
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CW: I’d say just being a competitor always competed no matter what the situation was like. I work hard every time I was on the court.
CW: Like you said, being a defender. Finding the ball out of all my hands I’m capable, if I need to play on the wing, I’m capable. So just letting the ball flow, just playing basketball.
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CW: Yeah, at Kentucky I had to. I started out playing the one and a two. But later on in the season, I switched to being the point guard like the whole time. So being able to adapt and still be able to hold my own like it is just the level that you have to keep getting better and better. You got to struggle at first, but you got to work to be better at it.
CW: I like how he gets to his spots. I like how he has good pace coming off his pick and rolls. And you know, he has that dog mentality. He plays hard on both ends as well.
I want to be the best version of me but he is somebody that I look at as someone to look up to.
CW: We all have our personal opinions, but I mean if that’s what he thinks, that’s what he thinks.
Activision/Cassy Athena
CW: Yeah, I used to play a lot a lot. Even before that [COVID]. I played Black Ops a lot.
The AK47 is always good. I feel like in all Call of Duty [games], if you get an AK, you’re good.
