OKC Thunder Can Continue Building On Alex Caruso’s Small Ball Success

There's an old, true saying in the world, that time is a flat circle. Oftentimes, that saying is full of truth, and in the case of the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was spot on. When this franchise began its full-on rebuild, tearing this thing down to the studs, they committed to starting with nothing but an identity. One built on toughness, grit, and oftentimes, small ball.

This historically good squad certainly doesn't rely on the smaller lineups quite like the team did three years ago, but it's the biggest reason they won on Sunday and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. It felt like a time machine had appeared in Oklahoma City, back to the days when Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein weren't on the team to contribute. In reality, they were ready and available, but peacefully watching a 6-foot-5 Alex Caruso lock down the 7-foot former MVP Nikola Jokic.

Of course, it wasn't just Caruso. It was a host of Thunder defenders, mostly pesky guards, that gave Jokic so much trouble. Caruso played 25 minutes off the bench, while Cason Wallace played 28, and Aaron Wiggins 19. The most important thing is thar Caruso's strength, quickness, and ability to deny domimant centers allows the Thunder to run one of the most effective small ball lineups the NBA has ever seen.

Oklahoma City laid the ground work at the beginning of the rebuild, but this is a whole new beast. It's no longer the Thunder's main style of play, but rather it's a lever that Mark Daigneault can pull in any game at any time. It's a new, fresh look for opponents to have to adjust to on the fly, and when there's no quick answer, this Thunder team usually dominates.

In a series against Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, Caruso's ability to guard taller players could give the Thunder a huge lift. If he and Gobert match up on each other, it's going to be impossible for the center to stick with all of Caruso's slashing, screens, and movements.

Caruso's role doesn't need to be limited to a small ball advantage, he has been an elite guard too. But it was comforting for Daigneault to see the lever be pulled with extreme success. If Oklahoma City wants to try it out against Minnesota now, they have playoff experience and feel comfortable doing it.