Oklahoma City shouldn’t be too concerned about its veteran guard.
Now that the Oklahoma City Thunder are all in on the offseason, they can spend time looking back on what went right for the team and what needs to be fixed. Many things went right for the Thunder, but as they fell short of their ultimate goal of a championship, some things must be fixed.
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Just going by regular-season numbers, it might seem that some players, like Alex Caruso, dropped off heavily and need to turn it around completely. However, the Thunder don’t have to sound the alarm on one of their experienced veterans just yet.
Caruso did, in fact, have a rough regular season, putting up some of the worst numbers of his career. He averaged 6.2 points on 42.3% shooting and a career low 29.3% from beyond the arc. The Thunder guard also declined in both assists and rebounds from last year to this year, only averaging 2 and 2.8, respectively.
Some would see this as a reason to worry, but Caruso is a special case. The veteran guard can be helpful in the regular season, but it’s very clear that OKC waits til the postseason to fully unleash Caruso.
This was the first season in his career where Caruso didn’t start a single game in the regular season. Additionally, he only averaged 18.2 minutes per game, which is the second-least in his career, only more than his rookie season. You might think that with the decreased playing time and lack of performance, Caruso wouldn’t be ready for the postseason, but it was quite the opposite.
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He actually had arguably the best playoff run of his career, as he was essential in OKC making it so far. He averaged 11 points per game on 47.8% shooting and shot an incredible 44.6% from deep. His playing time skyrocketed, averaging 23.5 minutes per game in the postseason, as his veteran leadership served the squad well.
Of course, the Thunder would still love to see increased production from Caruso next season to help out as much as possible in the regular season. However, OKC knows that the Texas A&M product can show out when it matters most, and shouldn’t be too worried about a regular season where Caruso’s full potential isn’t necessarily utilized.
Caruso’s real production shows in the playoffs, and since that is truly where the season is decided, it’s a tradeoff the Thunder are willing to make.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/thunder/onsi as OKC Thunder Shouldn’t be Worried About Alex Caruso’s Regular Season Slump.
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