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As the Oklahoma City Thunder prepare for their NBA Cup semifinal matchup against the Houston Rockets, veteran guard Alex Caruso shared why 2024-25 has been such a success. With the best record in the Western Conference and a four-game winning streak, the Thunder's astonishing steal-to-turnover ratio puts them in a league of their own. However, Caruso says the key to Oklahoma City's success is the players' desire to improve while holding one another accountable.
Caruso also credits the front office for meticulously assembling the ideal core of young players who align with the Thunder organization's standards.
“They all have the same focus, which is they want to get better. They want to be the best versions of themselves. They want to compete. They want to win basketball games,” Caruso said. “Then, ultimately, the organization has just done a great job bringing guys in that want to represent everything that OKC is about; team first from Shai down to our two-way guys [and] E-10 guys.
“Everyone is treated the same, and everyone is held to the same standard and accountability. With an atmosphere and culture like that, it makes it really easy for really good basketball players to thrive,” Caruso concluded.
When the Chicago Bulls traded Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey, the All-Defensive guard quickly adapted to Oklahoma City. He now anchors the second unit's backcourt and looks forward to competing in the final rounds of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas.
“The ability to do this during the season is a big responsibility, but it's a big opportunity for us just to be able to break the norm of the season,” Caruso said. “Kind of that gridlock of 25 games in, you're like halfway to All-Star break almost. This is kind of more of a mental refresher that I think is going to be really beneficial. But also the ability to showcase the team we have. We got a bunch of guys that are really good basketball players, really competitive, and really close.”
Thunder are the only NBA team to reach this eye-opening stat
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault addressed the Thunder's shortcomings against the Rockets but anticipates an increased effort in the NBA Cup semifinals. Heading into Saturday's showdown, the Thunder are the only team in the association with more steals (292) than turnovers (265).
It's an impressive stat, especially this deep into the regular season. Alex Caruso (30) cracks the top 4 for Thunder players with the most steals. Jalen Williams leads the pack with 49 steals, with Cason Wallace (43) and All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (42) close behind.
