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Alex Caruso has never needed to be a star to make a major impact and that’s part of what makes him so valuable.
He’s the guy who makes the hustle play, takes the toughest defensive assignment, gets his hands on a loose ball and somehow always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Those are the things that have made Caruso one of the most respected role players in the NBA.
But there is one area where he can still make a noticeable jump with the Oklahoma City Thunder: his shooting. More specifically, Caruso needs to find a way to make his playoff shooting look a little more like his regular season shooting.
During the regular season, Caruso struggled from three point range, shooting just over 29%. That made it easier for defenses to leave him open and put more pressure on Oklahoma City’s primary scorers.
And that’s the problem.
When you’re playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, you don’t necessarily need to score 20 points a night to make a huge difference. But you do need to make defenses pay when they decide you’re the guy they’re willing to leave open.
Caruso showed he could do exactly that in the playoffs.
He shot 44.6% from three during the postseason, and it wasn’t just the percentage that stood out. He looked comfortable taking those shots. There wasn’t much hesitation. When the ball found him and the defense gave him space, he was willing to let it fly.
That version of Caruso makes Oklahoma City even more dangerous.
The Thunder don’t need him to suddenly become a high volume scorer. Nobody is asking Caruso to take shots away from anyone. That’s not why Oklahoma City brought him in.
What the Thunder need is for Caruso to make teams pay for ignoring him.
If a defender stays attached to him, that gives Gilgeous-Alexander more room to work. If the defender helps off him, Caruso can knock down the three. And if defenders start closing out harder, he can use his ball handling to attack the basket and make something happen.
It sounds simple, but those little things can completely change an offense.
His corner three is especially important. Those are going to be some of the shots available to him playing alongside Oklahoma City’s best players. If he can become a dependable threat from those spots, defenses won’t be able to treat him as an easy escape valve.
Caruso could also stand to be a little more aggressive offensively.
He’s naturally unselfish, and that’s a big reason teammates love playing with him. But sometimes the best decision is just to shoot the ball. If a defense gives him five feet of space, he shouldn’t feel obligated to make one more pass.
He has already shown that he can make those shots. Now it’s about doing it more consistently.
Caruso doesn’t need to reinvent himself. His defense is already one of the biggest reasons Oklahoma City is so good. His instincts, toughness and basketball IQ aren’t going anywhere.
But if he can turn his playoff shooting into something closer to his regular season production, or even better, he becomes an even tougher player to deal with.
The Thunder don’t need Caruso to become a star. They just need him to become someone teams can’t afford to leave open.
If he can do that, the rest of his game will make him even more valuable.
Continue reading...
He’s the guy who makes the hustle play, takes the toughest defensive assignment, gets his hands on a loose ball and somehow always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Those are the things that have made Caruso one of the most respected role players in the NBA.
But there is one area where he can still make a noticeable jump with the Oklahoma City Thunder: his shooting. More specifically, Caruso needs to find a way to make his playoff shooting look a little more like his regular season shooting.
During the regular season, Caruso struggled from three point range, shooting just over 29%. That made it easier for defenses to leave him open and put more pressure on Oklahoma City’s primary scorers.
And that’s the problem.
When you’re playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, you don’t necessarily need to score 20 points a night to make a huge difference. But you do need to make defenses pay when they decide you’re the guy they’re willing to leave open.
Caruso showed he could do exactly that in the playoffs.
He shot 44.6% from three during the postseason, and it wasn’t just the percentage that stood out. He looked comfortable taking those shots. There wasn’t much hesitation. When the ball found him and the defense gave him space, he was willing to let it fly.
That version of Caruso makes Oklahoma City even more dangerous.
The Thunder don’t need him to suddenly become a high volume scorer. Nobody is asking Caruso to take shots away from anyone. That’s not why Oklahoma City brought him in.
What the Thunder need is for Caruso to make teams pay for ignoring him.
If a defender stays attached to him, that gives Gilgeous-Alexander more room to work. If the defender helps off him, Caruso can knock down the three. And if defenders start closing out harder, he can use his ball handling to attack the basket and make something happen.
It sounds simple, but those little things can completely change an offense.
His corner three is especially important. Those are going to be some of the shots available to him playing alongside Oklahoma City’s best players. If he can become a dependable threat from those spots, defenses won’t be able to treat him as an easy escape valve.
Caruso could also stand to be a little more aggressive offensively.
He’s naturally unselfish, and that’s a big reason teammates love playing with him. But sometimes the best decision is just to shoot the ball. If a defense gives him five feet of space, he shouldn’t feel obligated to make one more pass.
He has already shown that he can make those shots. Now it’s about doing it more consistently.
Caruso doesn’t need to reinvent himself. His defense is already one of the biggest reasons Oklahoma City is so good. His instincts, toughness and basketball IQ aren’t going anywhere.
But if he can turn his playoff shooting into something closer to his regular season production, or even better, he becomes an even tougher player to deal with.
The Thunder don’t need Caruso to become a star. They just need him to become someone teams can’t afford to leave open.
If he can do that, the rest of his game will make him even more valuable.
Continue reading...
