Two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander praised teammate Alex Caruso, calling him the “best competitor in the NBA.”
Caruso has been absolutely outstanding during the postseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he has turned his game up a notch in the Western Conference Finals. Through the first five games against the San Antonio Spurs, Caruso has averaged 17 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1 block, while shooting 56.8/58.1/81.0.
As the numbers demonstrate, Caruso has been absolutely outstanding on the offensive side of the floor, but his defense is also among the best in the league at any position. Caruso’s strong two-way play is a big reason why the Thunder are 3-2 against the Spurs, and one win away from making the NBA Finals to play the New York Knicks.
In many ways, he’s a Swiss Army Knife of a basketball player, and the heart and soul of this talented Thunder team that is looking to win the NBA Championship for the second straight season — and it’s not going unnoticed by his more famous teammates.
SGA Praises Alex Caruso
Speaking to the media after the Thunder won Game 5 against the Spurs, SGA heaped praise upon his teammate for everything he does for Oklahoma City.
“AC isn’t some uber-talented guy that’s 6’7 with a 7’3 wingspan and shoots lights out. But he’s one of, if not, the best competitor in the NBA … He wears that hat for this group all season long and it’s on TV every night now, so the world’s getting to see it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Thunder 1 Win Away From NBA Finals
Caruso’s strong play is a major reason why the Thunder are just one win away from making the NBA Finals for the second straight season. We all know the Thunder are most well-known for their All-NBA superstars in SGA and Chet Holmgren, but it’s Caruso who has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting for the Thunder so far during this postseason run.
His defense is his calling card, but the fact that he is shooting 58.1% from 3-point range during this Western Conference Finals against the stacked Spurs is absolutely incredible, and something no one could have expected heading into the series. We all know how much of a heart-and-soul type of player that Caruso is, but the fact that he is also shooting lights out from 3-point land has turned him into one of the best players in the entire league during the postseason.
The good news for the Thunder is that Caruso is on a sweetheart contract that pays him approximately $20 million per season for four years. He’s completing the first year of his deal right now, so he has three more seasons left on the contract at around $20 million per season. Given everything that he brings to the table, the Thunder have absolutely no problem paying him that sort of money. While some believed it was a big contract for a role player at the time he signed it, Caruso has proven all the doubters wrong as he’s been worth every penny of his deal, and more.
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