Alex Caruso Is the Thunder’s Secret Weapon, and Everyone’s About to Find Out | Deadspin.com

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander admitted “the nerves were natural” Sunday when the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder struggled offensively to begin Game 7 in their Western Conference semifinal towards Denver.

Jettisoning the ones jitters hinged upon OKC’s calling card — gritty, high-pressure protection personified in veteran Alex Caruso.

What the headbanded, 6-foot-5 reserve guard lacks in emblem consciousness he makes up for in enjoy, an characteristic that in large part eluded the Thunder ultimate season.

Acquiring Caruso from Chicago in an offseason industry won’t have made waves on the time, however Caruso indisputably has since returning to the town the place he began his professional profession. Now, the previous OKC Blue G-Leaguer is primed to lend a hand the Thunder’s younger core take your next step as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves to start out the West finals Tuesday evening.

Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander might glance posh in a undeniable ubiquitous AT&T business, however they’re no longer averse to following Caruso’s measured but in-your-face lead at the flooring.

“Just trying to be where our feet are in the moment, see what’s in front of us and try to attack it,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “Come out on the right end of it.”

Oklahoma City restricted Denver to 39.3 p.c taking pictures Sunday, together with a 22.7 p.c effort from lengthy vary, en path to a 125-93 win. Caruso confirmed the best way in his common half-court defensive project. He yielded six inches and important bulk to three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic — however little else — serving to prohibit Jokic to 20 issues. Nearly 1/2 of the ones — 9 — got here on the free-throw line.

“For me,” Caruso stated, “it’s just about competing … being relentless with my energy, the effort to make it tough on him, and obviously the guys around me did a good job of helping and swarming that, because I’m not doing that on my own.”

What Caruso can take credit score for — despite the fact that he most likely received’t — is a contagious tenacity that has helped the Thunder dangle combatants below 100 issues 4 instances in 11 postseason video games.

A West semifinalist ultimate season following a play-in loss to Minnesota in 2023, the Thunder hit the bottom working of their playoff opener April 20, as Caruso aided an effort that limited Memphis to 34.4 p.c taking pictures, together with 17.6 p.c from deep.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play with Hall of Famers, been coached by Hall of Famers, the elite of the elite,” Caruso stated. “I’ve just been stealing stuff from other people and honing it and working on it, and now I’m trying to pass it on to the rest of the guys.

“I think that they’ve done a good job of that. Our communication level, our sense of urgency, our ability to dissect and move forward is a lot better than it was, I think, when I first got here. And that’s the key — using that stuff that I’ve learned from other people and passing it on to the others and elevate me, too.”

OKC must stay elevating its degree towards a Wolves workforce that complex to the West finals ultimate season. Anthony Edwards makes Minnesota move and is averaging 26.5 issues, 8.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists within the playoffs — related to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 29.0, 5.9 and 6.4.

“Certainly last year’s experience helps a ton, and that’s what really this is all about — layering those experiences on top of each other so you can draw from them time and again and gain confidence,” Minnesota trainer Chris Finch stated.

The Wolves’ roster isn’t a complete reproduction from ultimate season, in fact. Big guy Karl-Anthony Towns was once traded to the East finalist New York Knicks in trade for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

It’s a testomony to Caruso that he can shield the small ahead or taking pictures guard with equivalent aplomb.

Whatever problem lies in entrance of them, the Thunder seem poised to pounce Caruso-style — competitive however mindful.

“I think that’s why we’ve gotten this far in the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated, “and we’re going to continue to do so.”