After a season through which they completed with the NBA’s No. 4 protection, the Thunder added to their strengths by buying and selling for an All-Defensive guard on Thursday.
Oklahoma Metropolis led the league in steals and forcing turnovers final season and now they’ve added probably the most dogged perimeter defenders within the NBA. Someway they did it with out dipping into their huge trove of future draft picks, as an alternative flipping Josh Giddey, the No. 6 total decide from the 2021 NBA Draft. Now they’re going to possible attempt to re-sign Caruso when he turns into extension-eligible in December.
Giddey was the weakest defender of the Thunder’s ordinary beginning 5. Lu Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have all been distinction makers on the defensive aspect of the ball, however regardless of Giddey’s 6-foot-8 body, he lacks the athleticism or the ability of his fellow starters.
Within the playoffs, Giddey’s minutes declined and he misplaced his beginning spot within the Thunder’s second-round sequence in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks. With Giddey eligible for a rookie extension this summer season, OKC determined to maneuver on from a participant who may not be of their instant or long-term future anymore.
Basically, the Thunder used one among their greatest commerce chips to not plug a gap, however to double-down on current strengths. OKC had top-of-the-line defenses within the NBA final season and in addition the perfect three-point proportion within the NBA, making 38.9% of their photographs behind the arc. Caruso shot 40.8% final season whereas Giddey was at simply 33.7%.
The Thunder had been a superb group in clutch conditions final season. Caruso had 16 steals within the clutch final season, twice as a lot as the subsequent participant. He was additionally fifth in clutch blocks with eight. Caruso suits in with all the pieces the Thunder already do effectively, plus supplies a veteran presence missing on the group’s roster.
This may occasionally simply be the start of the Thunder’s transactions, as they construct on a season that noticed them seize the No. 1 seed within the Western Convention. However it’s a robust first transfer that ought to make Oklahoma Metropolis much more of a nightmare for opposing guards.
