Alex Caruso Continues to be OKC Thunder’s Secret Weapon

Oklahoma City’s lineup has been fluctuating for most of the season so far — but it hasn’t really been by strategy. Sure, the team’s philosophy over the last few years has centered around development and playing everyone on the roster to prepare them for the biggest moments and see who meshes well together. And that still remains a constant theme this year. But most of the reason behind the lineup fluctuation has centered around injuries.

Now that Oklahoma City is near full strength and almost all the way healthy, the lineups are starting to look real. The development piece is still a real thing — minutes are distributed across the board. But the rotations are beginning to form and the bigger picture is starting to come into sight.

When Oklahoma City plays in amplified games, like NBA Cup games, or close games that come down to the wire, it’s easier to see what the rotation will look like down the road — and who the coaching staff trusts. An obvious player who fits that description is Thunder veteran Alex Caruso, who played a crucial role in the Thunder’s title quest a season ago.

His regular season minutes and production are down from a season ago — his first with the Thunder — but don’t let that fool you. Big games are an indication of what’s to come in the playoffs, and Caruso will once again earn his contract in the postseason. Over the last four games, he has proven he can still have the same impact whenever he’s called upon — Oklahoma City simply doesn’t want to put unnecessary tread on his tires.

Over the last four games, three coming against teams currently in the playoff field, Caruso has totaled 12 steals — an average of 3.0 steals per game. He has been a complete defensive menace, and Oklahoma City has clearly been a better team when he’s on the floor.

The best example of that came against the Spurs, a game that Oklahoma City lost by two points. Caruso logged the second most minutes he has played all season long at 24, and he was a +22 on the court.

He’s only averaging 5.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, but don’t let the numbers deceive you. He’s still the same defensive menace, averaging a career-high 1.9 steals per game, and he’s a high impact player every time his number is called. Just because Oklahoma City is treading lightly, saving his heavy minute services for the playoffs, doesn’t mean he has fallen off at all.

Caruso is still the Thunder’s secret weapon, and fans should look forward to seeing a lot more of him in the postseason. He is consistent and reliable, and there’s no doubt he’ll leave his mark during another deep postseason run.