In just two seasons, OKC Thunder guard Cason Wallace has established himself as one of the most impressive and promising young talents the association currently has to offer.
Now, coming into his junior campaign, many are under the assumption that the 21-year-old could be heading toward a true breakout, and his comments during NBA Media Day should only increase the odds of fans seeing such a happening.
Thunder guard Cason Wallace strengthened offensive game this summer
During Monday's kick-off to the opening of training camp, Wallace was asked where, in particular, he believes he needs to improve individually in order to "continue the growth for the team and for you personally."
Without hesitation, he quickly highlighted his play on the offensive end, specifically his desire to get "stronger" and overall more aggressive on that side of the ball.
"That's something I was working on this summer. Just making sure that I'm able to make winning plays on the offensive end as well," Wallace said.
Due to the overabundance of weapons that have surrounded him since being drafted, such as the literal reigning league scoring champion in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Wallace has heavily leaned on his defensive abilities as a way to carve out a key role within coach Mark Daigneault's rotation.
The results of such a decision have been truly sensational and highly impactful for the Thunder, as he is coming off a year where he ranked fifth in the NBA in total deflections, sixth in total steals, and within the 95th percentile in defensive estimated plus/minus.
Of course, upon coming into the league back in 2023, Wallace's scouting report spoke glowingly about his standout two-way capabilities, with some going as far as to compare him to All-Star guard Jrue Holiday.
Through this point in his career, he's certainly lived up to the hype surrounding his defensive acumen.
Now, as he gears up for his third season with the Thunder, it appears he's ready to put his offensive game more on display.
Of course, it's not as if he's been nonexistent in this aspect of the game.
In fact, he's proven to be one of the club's more reliable weapons from long range (sports a career 38.9 percent clip from deep) and has flashed serious potential as an athletic finisher at the rim. Measuring in at just 6-foot-3, the man even managed to posterize the 6-foot-11 Nikola Jokic in Game 7 of last year's semifinal matchup against the Nuggets.
After a summer of honing his craft, however, it seems that Wallace is ready to start showcasing his offensive abilities on a more consistent basis.