Alex Caruso, usually known for his defensive prowess on the floor, single-handedly outscored every single player on the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton (17), Myles Turner (16), and Pascal Siakam (15) all had fewer points than Caruso's 20 on Sunday night in the NBA Finals. The Thunder beat the Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 at home.
Following the game, OKC players spoke to the media and answered several questions, including questions about Caruso. Chet Holmgren was asked to describe Caruso's energy levels as compared to a 30-year-old man. Holmgren took this as a snide at Caruso's age, considering he is the oldest player (31 years old to be exact) on this young Thunder roster.
“Don't disrespect our GOAT like that, man. He's one of those guys who, you know, is going to bring it every single night. Whether he's 22 or 30, it doesn't matter, he's going to bring it. And I feel like, as a collective, we really feed off of that. And then also his ability to kind of process things that are happening out there and relay it and communicate it to everybody else is really important for us. So, you know, hopefully that doesn't fade away as the years go on.”
As the oldest player on the team, who has been in the NBA since 2016 (where he went undrafted and joined the G League), Caruso acts as the veteran senior on this roster. His experience has helped this young team reach the NBA Finals. His defense on Jokic was arguably the reason they won Game 7 against the Nuggets. Usually, it is his defensive skills that people praise, but during Game 2, he gave them the edge on the offensive end from the bench that arguably helped them sustain the lead over the Pacers.
Jalen Williams, the Thunder's other young star, also spoke to the media about Caruso. He was asked what it was like to be guarded by Caruso in practice or ever on opposing teams.
“I don't know I'd be frying AC, so I don't really know,” said Williams initially as he joked that he cooks Caruso when he is defending him.
“No, but he's a really good defender. Great hands, good feet, physical, smart. So when you add all that together and the amount of like years that he's been in the league, I can imagine it's probably a little uncomfortable.”
Caruso was informed of the comments from Williams and responded in the press conference itself.
“Dub’s just a very confident individual. I'm not the best practice player. Once I made an NBA roster and I signed a contract, my intensity in practice dropped a little bit. In the game is kind of where it matters now, I think I've earned that spot in my career. So you know, we'll let him have the days in between games.”
At age 31, when players are hitting their primes in their careers, Caruso is the veteran senior on a young Thunder team. He won a championship with the Lakers in 2020 and was brought on to this team to bring that experience to the young roster.
Holmgren and Williams' words represent that the team loves Caruso like an older brother. While they won't take his disrespect from anyone else, they tend to poke fun at their big brother on their own sometimes. Will this homely, friendly, brotherly energy help the Thunder beat the Pacers in Indiana? It will be interesting to see if Caruso and Wiggins (18 points off the bench) can provide the same push in Indiana that they did at home in Oklahoma.
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