OKC Thunder Focused on ‘Stepping Into Their Own’

Oklahoma City has played through “next man up” mentality all season long. With all the injuries, that’s the only way they were going to be successful — and successful has been an understatement.

The Thunder have already secured the No. 1 seed in a loaded Western Conference and the calendar hasn’t even flipped to April yet. Chet Holmgren has missed over half the season, and both Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have missed a handful of games too. The rest of the roster has dealt with routine, nagging injuries. It has only made them better in the long run, though.

Everyone on this team has had an opportunity to step up with the inconsistent rotation. On Sunday night, it was Caruso’s turn. The other-worldly defensive stopper has been huge for the Thunder all season long, but with Jalen Williams out and Oklahoma City on the rails, his team needed an extra gear. He totaled 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while saving his best basketball for the final possession.

Caruso’s on-court impact has been obvious this season. His off-court impact behind the scenes has been just as valuable, though. Caruso would’ve fit seamlessly into any rotation in the NBA, but the impact he has had on the Thunder’s rising prospects has been invaluable. He has taken guys like Cason Wallace under his wing, and empowered them to seize their moment — just like he did on Sunday.

“That’s probably the most important thing for us as a team, everybody stepping into their own whenever the time calls for it,” Caruso said. “You know what you’re gonna get from two (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), you know what you’re gonna get from Dub (Jalen Williams). All season it has been playing off of them and whoever has the night.

As he balances blending in as a teammate and being a necessary vet, I asked Caruso how much of his job to is to make room for other (younger) guys to seize an opportunity/have their moments.

“That’s probably the most important thing for us as a team, everybody stepping into… pic.twitter.com/j79QtSStuq
— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) March 24, 2025

“Like, I think Isaiah Joe didn’t score tonight, and there’s been games where he hit eight threes. There was a game the other week where Lu (Dort) went 8-of-14 from three, he had maybe single digits tonight. There’s always opportunity for someone to step up and be aggressive and that’s one of the luxuries of this team. You have so many guys that are skilled, versatile, and can play.”

Caruso has added to one of the many Thunder players that can have a huge impact on any given night. He has also inspired his teammates to have that impact, too.

He recovered from a shaky start to close the game with force and confidence. It was a great example for the young roster, and his leadership will go a long way in the postseason.

“Part of me trying to get them to be aggressive and be confident is showing that too in myself staying confident,” Caruso said. "Bouncing back and making plays.”

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