However though Caruso has undoubtedly contributed to the Thunder’s dominant D up to now this yr, he’s supplied regardless of the reverse of a spark is on offense. He’s shooting 27.1% from the floor and 18.5% from 3, has a -4.4 offensive Estimated RAPTOR and OKC scores 9.8 fewer points per 100 with him on the court versus off. Maybe not coincidentally — and granting that he’s additionally taking part in for a significantly better group now — Caruso’s minutes per sport have dipped from a career-high 28.7 in Chicago final season to only 19.5 up to now this yr in OKC. The excellent news for OKC (and Caruso particularly) is that shot-making is susceptible to large random swings in a small pattern. Given their wealth of offensive weapons, from trigger-men SGA and Jalen Williams to shooters like Wallace, Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, the Thunder needs to be making much more 3s — and photographs usually — than they’re proper now. Whereas we might look again on Caruso’s 2023-24 season as a profession yr when it comes to offensive effectiveness,1 he has a historical past as an above-average deep shooter. -via Neil Paine’s Substack / November 12, 2024
