Thunder Defense Ace Alex Caruso’s Impact Goes Beyond His Offense Box Score

The Oklahoma City Thunder made a shocking trade over the summer, sending former No. 6 pick Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for defenseman Alex Caruso.

This trade came on the heels of a 57-win season, but a mixed season for Giddey due to incompatibility with the Thunder’s system, ultimately leading to him being benched in the team’s second-round series against Dallas, snapping a 218-game starting streak. Mavericks.

At the beginning of the offseason, the young guard, who was entering a contract year, rejected the Thunder’s offer to be brought off the bench on purpose, citing it as one of the factors that led to the divorce.

Making a one-for-one trade with the Bulls to acquire Caruso was a best-case scenario outcome for the Thunder, but it was also a win for all parties involved. The defense’s best player joins the ranks of title contenders, as Giddey stretches his legs with more ball chances and plays as bench boss Billy Donovan’s guard whisperer.

From the moment the trade was announced, two things became clear: The Thunder have gotten much better in their championship hunt, and Giddey will be able to post monster-counting stats for a middling-at-best Bulls roster.

This prevented Giddey from starting the season averaging 14.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 0.8 regular points and 2.6 turnovers; He shot 44 percent from the field, a career-best 44 percent from beyond the arc and 60 percent from the line.

Caruso, on the other hand, is looking for a way to produce as a scorer in the Thunder’s system on the offensive end, posting 2.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 shooting per game while shooting a low 27 percent. He’s 16 percent from beyond the arc and just 0-for-1 from the charity stripe.

That’s not a concern for Thunder boss Mark Daigneault, who was asked about the new player ahead of Monday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

“I would say low sample, low volume,” Daigneault said. he said. “He didn’t make a lot of shots. It’s a low sample in terms of games and low volume. But his impact on the team is undeniable. I expect his volume to increase as well as his efficiency. I’m not worried about that at all.”

Daigneault’s calm approach is warranted; The Thunder know Caruso is a career 37 percent 3-point shooter, including making 40 percent from the 3-point line a year ago. The Thunder have certainly benefited from Caruso, especially on defense this season.

Not only has Giddey been unable to replicate what Caruso has done defensively overall, but the Thunder have had to rely on the former Bull to play at the four and five at times this season to start the starting lineup alongside Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Wiliams and Kenrich Williams. year. Although Giddey plays with the four in name only, Caruso is an effective option for Oklahoma City.

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