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The Oklahoma City Thunder have been dominant all season long even though they haven't quite had their full-strength roster for a single game yet. Alex Caruso, one of their big summer acquisitions, has been dealing with some injury problems of his own, but make no mistake about it — Caruso is still a game-changer when he's healthy. And on Wednesday night, change the game was exactly what Caruso did for the Thunder in their 123-114 win over the openly tanking Utah Jazz.
Caruso's impact doesn't jump off on the box score, but he's always been one of the most impactful players in the association. He's always had a penchant for being at the right place at the right time while being one of the best defenders in the league, and on Wednesday, the Thunder needed him to lock down the Jazz at the point of attack amid solid games from Collin Sexton and Keyonte George.
While Caruso's reputation as a lockdown defender means that no one is surprised anymore when he clamps up his matchup, all Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault could do is express just how much the 30-year-old guard contributes to winning basketball thanks to his excellent work on the less glamorous end of the court.
“He's just a menace… He had one stretch where they didn't cross halfcourt just because of him… He's surgical about it and is smart when he takes his risks,” Daigneault said of Caruso, per Clemente Almanza of the OKC Thunder Wire.
With the Thunder setting their sights on competing for a championship, the importance of having a guy like Caruso who embodies winning basketball like few others in the league cannot be overstated. Considering how many elite perimeter players the Thunder will have to slow down en route to winning the Larry O'Brien trophy, Caruso's “menace” ways will have to hold strong until June.
Can anyone overcome the Thunder's elite defense?
The Thunder have arguably the most complete team in the league; they have the best two-way balance in the association, as not only do they have one of the best number one options in the league in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they also have many positive defenders across multiple positions.
Alex Caruso will be a part of the Thunder's core moving forward, and for good reason. Caruso signed a four-year, $81.1 million extension to stay with OKC beyond this season, and at this point, it will come as a huge shock if they don't break through with a championship during that span.
