The OKC Thunder’s Offseason Addition praises the organization

Since the Oklahoma City Thunder brought him in over the offseason, Alex Carsuo has settled in well in the third organization of his career.

Although injuries and inconsistencies in his 3-point shooting have prevented it from being a completely seamless transition, Caruso’s elite defensive intangibles have remained a very impressive area of ​​his game. On a Thunder team already stacked with some of the best defenders in the NBA, he’s among the best.

Caruso’s 5.8 points, three rebounds and 2.3 assists per game doesn’t jump off the page – especially his 39/28/71% shooting splits – but his impact goes far beyond the regular stat sheet. Not many players across the league have the same hustle and ability to do the dirty work.

At 30 years old, Caruso somehow ranks as the oldest player in Oklahoma City along with Kenrich Williams. Moving to a team loaded with young talent on the verge of competing for a spot in the NBA Finals could seem a little daunting, but the guard has had no trouble “fitting in.”

If anything, it’s a credit to the Thunder organization as a whole. Just ask the man himself.

“Everyone is treated equally and everyone is held to the same standard and accountability,” Caruso said during the NBA Cup semifinals media day. “With an atmosphere and culture like that, it makes it really easy for basketball players to thrive.”

Whether past or current players who have come through Oklahoma City, most have had nothing but praise for the organization. It aims to build a unique culture unmatched by other teams, which has helped its results surpass those of other small market teams.

Caruso certainly doesn’t need to be developed at this point in his career, but looking at the amount of players the Thunder have drafted and grown into impact players over the past few years, there’s something about its development process that has fostered the list it has. currently has

It’s safe to say that Oklahoma City is indeed thriving.

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