NBA Summer League has now started, which means the Oklahoma City Thunder No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, former Kentucky guard Cason Wallace, made his Thunder debut in Las Vegas. The Thunder took on the Dallas Mavericks and won 91-80, but that doesn’t tell the full story of Wallace’s first impressions. To do that, here are three reactions to the rookie’s debuts at Thunder Summer League.

3. Cason Wallace wowed NBA Summer League in his 27-minute debut

The Thunder traded up two spots, taking on the Mavs’ bad Davis Bertans contract to do so. In that spot, they took former Kentucky freshman guard Cason Wallace at No. 10. In a vacuum, most experts liked the pick because of Wallace’s talent.

However, adding the 6-foot-2 guard to a backcourt that already includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, and Tre Mann is an interesting fit.

What the team liked about Wallace is his defense is on par with a player like Dort, while his offense has the potential to grow into and fit well with players like Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey.

In Wallace’s Thunder Summer League debut, the young guard showed what he could do on both sides of the ball, and that quickly made many doubters reconsider their stance.

The final Cason Wallace stat line for the Thunder rookie was 27 minutes played, a game-leading 20 points, 7-of-15 shooting from the field, 6-of-10 from 3-point range, two assists, two steals, and two turnovers.

Wallace filled up the box score in a way that the Thunder hoped he could, and in the process, drew two more reactions on either side of the ball.

2. The guard looked locked in on defense

One of the reasons that Cason Wallace got drafted by the Thunder was for his defense. The former Wildcat is small for an NBA guard, but he is a tenacious defender who can get inside guard’s pockets. He led his team with 2.0 steals per game last season and finished first in defensive box plus/minus (4.2) and second in defensive win shares (1.6).

In his first NBA Summer League contest, Wallace showed his defensive chops. In addition to his two steals, Wallace was locked in all game, and if you watched him closely, you’d see what he provides on that side of the ball.

His on-ball defense was solid, as he stayed in front of his opposite number all night. He also rotated well in help defense, prowled the passing lanes for steals, and fought through screens in the pick-and-roll. That’s everything you want to see from a young defender at guard.

There will be some bigger guards in this league who punish Wallace for his size. But next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams — who are all 6-foot-6 or taller — some of that burden will come off Wallace.

So, one of Wallace’s biggest talents showed up in his Thunder Summer League debut. But it was his offensive skills that really turned heads.

1. Wallace can shoot!

Before Cason Wallace got to the Thunder he was a solid offensive player at Kentucky. In his lone season in Lexington, the guard averaged 11.7 points, 4.2 assists, and shot 34.6% from three, 51.4% from two, and 75.7% from the line.

The 2-point percentage is especially encouraging because Wallace is going into the lane for layups at a six-plus-inch disadvantage most times, and he takes a decent amount of mid-range shots. The fact he’s over 50% there was encouraging. Also, 34.6% from behind the arc isn’t bad in college, but to be a truly effective NBA weapon, he’d need to get that closer to 37% at the next level.

Well, in his Thunders Summer League debut in Las Vegas, Wallace hit six 3-pointers at a 60% clip. Obviously, that percentage isn’t going to last. But knocking down six triples to lead all scorers with 20 points was still incredibly impressive.

With so many guards in the Thunder backcourt, Wallace is going to have to spend some (or maybe lots of) time being a spot-up shooter for the team in order to earn playing time. And if he keeps hitting his open shots like he did against the Mavs, that playing time could come in bigger chunks than some Thunder fans suspect.

The Thunder wanted Cason Wallace badly in the 2023 NBA Draft, and they traded up to get him. Their vision was a 3-and-D guard who would fit seamlessly in their guard rotation. It’s still incredibly early in Wallace’s career and way too soon to make any major proclamations.

Still, after that debut, Oklahoma City and its fans can’t help but smile.