Alex Caruso Shines in Starting Spot for OKC Thunder

Oklahoma City’s veteran guard looked comfortable in the Thunder’s starting lineup.

Apr 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) and Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) attempt to get a ball during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Part of what has made Oklahoma City so dominant this season is the lineup versatility the roster offers. The Thunder have one of the deepest benches in the NBA with talented players ready to contribute night in and night out. It’s a battle tested roster, too, as injuries have forced a lot of these rotations to come to fruition.

Oklahoma City has opted to play small at times this season, especially when Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein were sidelined. The Thunder learned how to play without each big man — and both at times — preparing them for anything in the playoffs. This team has also used massive lineups with two centers, adding another completely different look to their arsenal. Eight different players have started 14 or more games, and 14 different players have started a game this season.

Surprisingly, Alex Caruso isn’t in that group of players who has started double digit games on the season. Oklahoma City’s offseason trade acquisition has been a huge part of the team’s success, but has done so almost exclusively off the bench. On Wednesday night when Caruso was entered into the starting lineup, though, he looked right at home. It was arguably his best performance as a member of the Thunder.

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In 26 minutes, Caruso scored a season-high 19 points on 6-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-4 from 3-points range. He also recorded five rebounds and three assists without a single turnover. As always, his defense was game changing, as Caruso netted five steals, too.

Caruso now has three double digit outings in the last nine games, and those were the only three games he recorded more than 20 minutes, too. It's starting to feel like the Thunder held back on heavy minutes for Caruso to keep him fresh for the playoffs. When crunch time kicks in, it's hard to not have a player like Caruso on the floor.

If he's needed to start, Wednesday night was a great example that he'd fit right in. Caruso is Oklahoma City's secret weapon heading into the playoffs.

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