After spending the last three years in Chicago, Alex Caruso is facing much higher expectations as he prepares for training camp with the Thunder. Oklahoma City, the top seed in the West last season, upgraded this summer by acquiring Caruso, an elite perimeter defender, in a trade with the Bulls and signing free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein.
Caruso, who played four seasons at Texas A&M, talked about the outlook for his new team in an interview this week with TexAgs Radio.
“I think that the Thunder’s success last year speaks for itself,” he said. “Being first in the West is a tall task because of the buzzsaw and how much talent is in the Western Conference. It is weird now because we added some pieces in the offseason and re-signed some of the young guys. Isaiah Harteinstein and I are phenomenal basketball players who can fit really well within the team. Looking at it on paper, we do a lot of stuff that those guys need that will help us be successful.”
After going undrafted in 2016, Caruso got his first NBA opportunity with the Thunder, signing a training camp contract that fall. He was waived before the start of the season and joined the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue, where he played for current Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.
Caruso is thrilled to be reuniting with Daigneault as an NBA veteran.
“We have a great relationship,” he said. “I know what to expect out of him and he knows how to coach and push me. If there was one word to describe it, just excited.”
Caruso’s career began to take off when he joined the Lakers on a two-way contract in 2017. He appeared in 37 games as a rookie and gradually worked his way into a rotation role.
He credits LeBron James, who signed in L.A. a year later, with helping to build his confidence and convincing him that he could be a productive NBA player.
“Coming from someone of that stature, someone who is that smart and skilled and the face of the NBA, and arguably the greatest of all time, that means a lot,” Caruso said. “It gave me the confidence in myself to believe that what I was doing was right. It helped me believe that what I was good at could contribute and be a deciding factor in NBA games. All I ever wanted was to be out there at the end of the game and have a chance to win.”
Caruso returned to College Station to host a golf tournament that will help set up his new foundation. The idea of being an established NBA player and having his own charitable organization seemed far away when he played for the Aggies.
“There is so much I want to do to give back,” Caruso said. “I am learning as I go, just figuring out the best way to set up for success so people can benefit from it and help it grow.”
Thunder picked up Caruso and IHart. Makes them better on paper. Makes them deeper. Plus adding two vets with playoff experience. Is always a benefit. I still see a hole at PG.
Don’t need a traditional PG.
SGA and Jalen are the primary decision makers in the clutch games. Giddey was never going to be the preferred handler over them.
Think about Tatum being Celtics top assist and playmaking guy during the playoffs for Boston.
Everyone needs a traditional PG. it’s like a rim protector. It will never change. Those are strengths of this game you don’t understand. They don’t have to be primary anymore. Every real team has them. Celtics have two starting PGs. Tatum isn’t the primary ball handler.
Maybe Wallace could be that guy? Still got alot of picks to play with. I liked Micic on OKC. A guy like Tyus Jones using the MLE an option next season.
Micic never saw the floor…which is why they traded him.
Jones is on the Suns since last month.
Next season, man, not this season. Obviously Jones is hoping to play his dollars up with Phoenix and get paid elsewhere. Talking about filing a roster spot here in regards to Micic and lack of traditional PG on their roster.
They drafted Nikola Topic to play next season so they wouldn’t pay for a Tyus Jones. Topic is the “Traditional” they will use in the future. They were 6th in assist and look at passed champs they don’t really have the traditional pg
LAL-Bron was the main playmaker
Bucks- had Jrue but Middleton was a key ballhandler down stretches.
GSW-Curry is a different beast never been that traditional pg or play with one they have flow offense. Draymond is more that traditional pg.
Nuggets-Murray isn’t traditional
Boston-Tatum was there lead assist guy they were also so loaded.
The Lakers, Bulls, and Heat did not need a traditional Point Guard.
In the old days sure or a team like the Suns do because those guys look more for their own shot. OKC has such a fluid moving offense that a “Traditional” pg is not needed, everyone is cutting and find each other they were 6th in Assist. Offensive flow was not their issue it was getting bullied on rebounds. They hope Ihart can fix that, Caruso being tougher than Giddey should help too.
As a Warriors fan, I love the move of bringing in Caruso to replace the massively overrated Giddey, who will be exposed on the Bulls next year as explicitly being not “Him”. OKC might be a top 4 team next year, they are going to be very tough with their perimeter D.
Caruso helps as a guy that does not need the ball. Contribute on defense and rebounding efforts.
Top 3 seed, go further than second round. After adding IH and Daniel son, improvement comes from within for the Thunder from here.
Will be interesting to see if I Hart is as good as advertised. Seemed in the idea spot with New York and Brunson and his little push shot.
While I think IH is a good player, I don’t see why the thunder signed him. Is the plan to pay him 30M to come off the bench or move Chet to the 4?