Alex Caruso‘s regular season impact for the Thunder was fairly modest, making 54 appearances while ranking just ninth on the team in minutes per game (19.3). That turned out to be by design, as Caruso appeared in all 23 games during the team’s title run and ranked fifth on the team in MPG (24.4), writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).
As Mussatto details, Caruso didn’t score 20 points a single time during the regular season but recorded three such games in the playoffs. The 31-year-old significantly boosted his three-point percentage as well, going from .353 during the season to .411 in the playoffs.
Defense and outside shooting were the main weaknesses of Josh Giddey, the player Oklahoma City traded to acquire Caruso, who excelled in both of those areas during the postseason. In Mussatto’s view, Caruso was the Thunder’s third-most important player in the playoffs (behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams), which is why he earned an A-plus for his 2024/25 performance.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- In another story for The Oklahoman, Mussatto commends the fit and play of center Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder‘s big free agent addition last summer, giving him a grade of A-minus. Unlike Caruso, Hartenstein had an excellent regular season but didn’t have the same level of impact during the playoffs. Still, the 27-year-old was vitally important in the second-round matchup against Denver, Mussatto notes, and provided the size and rebounding the team lacked in 2023/24.
- The Nuggets have had a busy offseason, trading Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick to acquire Cameron Johnson (and roster-building flexibility); trading Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas; and adding Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency. Longtime analyst and former NBA star Charles Barkley is a fan of the moves they made, he told Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. “I think (the Nuggets) and the Houston Rockets have probably had the best summers (in the NBA),” Barkley said. “And (the Nuggets), they’ve got the best player in the world (in Nikola Jokic). They just needed some more depth. They kind of broke the team up after they won the first championship (2023), and that’s really unfortunate. (They’ve) still got the best player. You want to give them as many opportunities as possible. But I thought they had a great summer.”
- The Chinese Basketball Association recently announced that Trail Blazers first-round pick Yang Hansen will miss the 2025 Asia Cup in order to prepare for his rookie season, tweets Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com. Hansen received permission from the Chinese national team to skip the event due to scheduling conflicts with Blazers mini-camps in August. He will instead stay in Portland this offseason.
Just hope Hansen knows what he’s doing. Giving up on glory for a minicamp…unless he is pulling an Embiid and ducking competition. Also not a great look. I do wish him the best though…Will be an uphill battle in Portland
how is it not a great look to prepare for his 1st season in the nba?
and how is it like Embiid? Embiid’s play in the olympics left him with little in the tank for his main gig… the nba.
Look at Michael Jordan. You think if he had a championship game to play or a practice he’d go to practice? No. You don’t train to train, you train to win. Thats why organization like Portland are totally stuck.
That’s why? All those players training to train… wrecking the whole NBA. I wish they’d train to win. Makes sense. Good call.
Trust me I know
Caruso value showed in the playoffs. He defended Jokic and other #1s and hit big shots. Giddey was not defending and was left open due to poor shooting. The trade can be a win win, but Okc made the right move.
Caruso is a classic playoffs type defender. All those shoves and slaps and half-trips they call in the regular season are magically legal in the post season, and he knows it. Every team should want a guy like that to make a run.
In the case of Hartenstein, his impact was felt more in the regular season due to Holmgren missing the first two months of the season. The rotation changed when they were both healthy.
Alex Caruso avg 28 mins in Chicago
71 gms, started 57 gms.
Josh Giddey avg 25.1 mins in OKC started 80 gms.
Then after Giddeys 3rd year at 21 yrs old.
Was traded to Chicago for Carusso. Carusso was going on 30 yrs old. Clearly the Bulls got the better deal. Carusso was due a new contract. Which the Thunder gave him.
Warriors could have done this at draft with Kuminga. After the playoffs Kuminga had high value. Yet the Warriors thought it was best to go to RFA. Cause no one has the money to sign Kuminga…….
Carusso and IHart were both added as vets. Vets who fit their system. And filled a need for their team. As both showed helping Thunder win. Excellent signings even though IHart was clearly overpaid. IHart will probably be moved next year. He’s on a TO year next year.