It looks like the Kentucky Wildcats have produced another talented NBA guard. It's unclear how much of that will happen since John Calipari is now the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, but the Oklahoma City Thunder could benefit from Kentucky's guard pipeline.
The team is led by former Wildcat superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but another former Kentucky guard became a huge asset for the Thunder in the second round of the series against the Dallas Mavericks.
In Game 4, when the Thunder struggled to shoot from beyond the arc, rookie guard Kayson Wallace made two 3-pointers in 19 minutes. Overall, the Thunder made 7 of 27 3-point shots. That includes Wallace shooting 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.
Read more: Oklahoma City depletes Dallas offense in hostile environment
Not only was Wallace's shooting beneficial, but his disruption and perimeter defense against Mavericks superstars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic were key for the Thunder to mount a comeback and steal the win in Dallas. .
The 10th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft will appear on the biggest stage. He's up to that challenge in the second round of the NBA playoffs against the league's best players. Thunder head coach Mark Daino spoke about his performance after his team's 100-96 win.
“It's just how reliable he is as a 20-year-old,” Daigneault said. “He's doing exactly what we're trying to accomplish with our game plan and system.”
Wallace was plus-5 in 19 minutes of play. It's been a difficult series for Josh Guidy, who has struggled through four games. It's hard to imagine Daigneault changing things up in the starting lineup, as Guidi's hot shooting could decide this series, but it's time to consider moving Wallace into the starting lineup. Maybe.
First of all, this helps the defense quite a bit. Wallace could take over Irving's spot and Lou Dort could guard Doncic. This will allow Jaylen Williams to focus on stopping P.J. Washington, who has been active this series with the Mavericks.
If Wallace starts, it would solve the spacing issue and help the Thunder get off to a strong start. He has gotten some spot starts during injuries, so he may find some comfort in that role.
Again, it's hard to imagine Denault changing anything regarding the starting lineup, but Wallace certainly made his case to make the jump in this series.
Read more: After a slow start, OKC Thunder Wings Jaylen Williams scores important win in Game 4
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