SUMMARY
- Alex Caruso is a much better upgrade from Josh Giddey in terms of defense.
- The Thunder are currently working with a roster that's similar to what the Boston Celtics have going on.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have become one of the strongest teams to beat in the Western Conference. They had an incredible run last season while notching a spot atop the Western Conference. However, the post-season caused some severe damage to OKC as they made a second-round exit by losing to the Dallas Mavericks.
But OKC seems to have everything in place for themselves. Mark Daigneault was crowned Coach of the Year, while Shai-Gilgeous Alexander made a strong case for MVP and Chet Holmgren executed a dominant rookie season. But they also had a few other pieces like Luguentz Dort, who genuinely anchored the team in various aspects. Adding Alex Caruso might’ve been the icing on the cake.
The Thunder’s roster has a perfect concoction of offensive and defensive players
We are all aware of what Caruso brings to the table on a nightly basis. Defensively, he poses a threat to players of his stature on opposing teams. He had a breakout season averaging 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and a block in 75 appearances with the Bulls. He’s a massive upgrade from Josh Giddy in terms of defense.
“I was smiling ear to ear talking to him on the phone just because I was excited to play for him again.”
“He told me, “Don’t be a smartass”, and I told him “I can’t wait for him to cuss me out at the first practice”
Alex Caruso on playing for Mark Daigneault again pic.twitter.com/3Dnar0vJ1k
— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) June 24, 2024
Now, the Thunder features a well-rounded roster with two emerging leaders in SGA and Jalen Williams. A dominant 7-foot center in Chet Holmgren, who can score and defend at a high level. Dort is their defensive leader while Caruso provides himself as a versatile guard who can offer himself on both ends of the floor. This is quite similar to what the reigning champions, Boston Celtics have.
OKC still needs to upgrade their in-game schemes
The type of roster the Thunder currently rides has proven that it can dominate the floor. But there is still one issue the Thunder need to take care of desperately and that’s relying only on SGA to lead the offense every night. It’s elementary for opposing teams to figure out solutions and counter the Thunder’s schemes. Once they find a way to shut down SGA, they do not have a player who can step up and provide the same numbers as him.
In 2024 Jalen Williams became the first second year player in NBA history to average over:
19 PPG
50% FG
40% 3PSpecial 🌟 pic.twitter.com/6oCpTSwbUN
— Thunder Muse (@ThunderMuse_) June 22, 2024
But on the bright side, they have capable scorers in Williams and Holmgren. Last season, Williams averaged 19.1 points per game while Holmgren put up a consistent 16.5 points per game. Daigneault needs to focus on developing their offensive production to alleviate situations where Alexander gets stopped.