Despite having finished with the same seed in the Western Conference standings, it's evident that this current iteration of the OKC Thunder is far superior to the one that became the youngest team to advance to a conference semifinal in 2023-24.
From their much-improved defensive play and historic point differential to the sheer fact that they rattled off the fifth-most wins in a single season with 68, Oklahoma City is clearly playing at a different level than their Cinderella story squad from a year ago.
Now, while there are certainly a number of reasons for why OKC has seen such an improvement -- Jalen Williams' ascension into stardom, Isaiah Hartenstein's added size and versatility, Aaron Wiggins' breakout, etc. --, two games into the NBA Playoffs Alex Caruso has arguably been the poster boy for why this team is far more dangerous than last season's.
Alex Caruso having a major impact on Thunder during 2025 NBA Playoffs
Acquired last offseason via the surprise swap that sent Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls, the primary idea behind Caruso's acquisition was to provide Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren with more of a complimentary talent while simultaneously adding much-needed, deep-run playoff experience to this squad that, before 2024, had none.
Though this first part of the equation was often put on display during the regular season (ranked first on the Thunder in defensive rating and third in net rating among those who played 50 or more games), the latter half is now finally being witnessed under the bright lights of the playoffs.
Simply put, Caruso's impact on this team has been absolutely captivating over the first two outings of their round-one series against the Grizzlies.
In just 17.1 minutes per night, the veteran has provided intangibles that don't necessarily show up on the final stat sheet but have been directly correlated with the club's recent success rate.
Sure, his 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals on 50.0 percent shooting from deep log-line is solid on its own, but it has been his suffocating defense (his assignments are shooting just 15.8 percent from deep) and willingness to dive for loose balls and put his body on the line for the sake of winning a single play that has been truly invaluable.
Even without attempting one single shot in Game 1, the veteran still managed to register the second-highest plus-minus rating on the night at +30 thanks to his efforts on the less glamorous side of the ball and overall ability to make the right decision.
Following his dominant performance in Game 2, Caruso now officially finds himself leading the entire league in plus-minus at +24.0.
Considering his individual accomplishments as a player and familiarity with what it takes to win an NBA Championship (was a core member of the title-winning Los Angeles Lakers in 2020), his presence in OKC not only provides them one of the most elite 3&D players in the league today but, also, perhaps an answer to one of the biggest drawbacks of this team heading into the playoffs.
Early signs are suggesting that Alex Caruso may very well prove to be one of the biggest difference-makers on this Thunder club as they hunt for their first Larry O'Brien Trophy of the Sooner State era.