Alex Caruso‘s Game 1 antics proved that he’s still a reliable player for the Thunder. However, is he the best they can rely on off the bench in this series? After what has been a frustrating loss in Game 1, OKC is now taking the fight to the Spurs with the hopes of tying the series at 1-1 and then hopefully stealing another win on the road. Now more than ever, head coach Mark Daigneault has to find the best pieces he can rely on off the bench. If they’re going to win this one, they need all hands on deck.
Caruso would have been the hero for Game 1, had it not been for the late mistakes that led to the OKC loss. He dropped a whopping stat line of 30 points, to go along with eight threes on 11-of-19 shooting, including two steals and blocks apiece. As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to produce, Chet Holmgren was not able to impose himself in the game, and Jalen Williams was shaking off some rust in his return. Caruso seemed to be the only positive that the defending champions had in the loss.
Is Alex Caruso The Best Piece Off The OKC Bench?
Even the bench, for what it’s worth, didn’t really explode as they were expected to be in Game 1. Oklahoma City thrives in its ability to rely on the next man up to get minutes and pull off some impressive shots when they need it. It has been a wild battle to begin the Western Conference Finals, but now it seems that Caruso will be a huge factor in the Thunder’s chances of winning if they want to make the most out of their campaign against the Spurs in the next few games.
The OKC Bench Needs To Step Up
Aside from Caruso dropping 30 points to lead the defending champs in scoring, the rest of the Thunder bench actually played poorly. Ajay Mitchell, who’s been a superb player in the West Semis, played 30 minutes but only had four points on 2-of-5 shooting from the field. That is uncharacteristically low, considering how he’s been an effective playmaker and scorer in his own right. Cason Wallace also played heavy minutes, but wasn’t as impactful as he used to be in the previous two games. He had some great defensive stops, but the Thunder needs more of those from him if he wants to prove his worth on the big stage.
Jared McCain, who’s also been explosive in the previous round, didn’t get many touches as he should have to make an impact. Even Isaiah Joe, who has been OKC’s best sharpshooter for most of the season, didn’t touch the court for more than a minute of play. Instead, we got Aaron Wiggins dipping his toes in the Western Conference Finals after missing out on the first two rounds.
Alex Caruso — The Ultimate Glue Guy 🔥 Every Bucket | Game 1 vs Spurs 🎯 pic.twitter.com/XCgJrZ9ejm
— Not Locked On Fantasy Basketball (@MaarkyBoy) May 19, 2026
In hindsight, the Thunder bench proved to be pivotal with 50 points against the Spurs’ 16. However, remove Caruso’s big night, and you only get 20 points in total. That’s a subpar game for a roster this deep, which definitely dooms the defending champs if they don’t remedy it when the series shifts to San Antonio. The OKC bench needs to get going to support its main core heading into the next set of games.
Caruso’s Big Game May Not Happen Again
At this point, it is safe to say that Caruso’s big game would not have been possible if the Spurs didn’t shut down both SGA and Holmgren — two of their top scorers. J-Dub adding some punch was timely, otherwise Game 1 would have ended in a blowout. Caruso, who averaged 6.2 points in the regular season, only scored double figures twice before the Western Conference Finals. If anything, that spells doom for OKC, as their leading scorer in Game 1 wasn’t actually a regular scorer to begin with.
The Bald Mamba is known for his defensive antics. It is the reason why the Thunder traded Josh Giddey for him back in the 2024 offseason. He can shoot the three better while being the best point of action defender for the team, which means that his two-way impact is expected to only complement SGA’s own aggressive offense, as we’ve seen in their previous campaign.
ALEX CARUSO TONIGHT:
31 POINTS
11/19 FGM
8/14 3PM
32 MINUTESDid all he could pic.twitter.com/t7X7Yxy5xs
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 19, 2026
Right now, it is easy to expect that the Spurs will now pay attention to him and hopefully shut him down. Considering the fact that Caruso himself isn’t really a scorer compared to the likes of McCain, Mitchell, or even Joe, his 30-point burst in Game 1 would go down as one of the wasted big performances in a stage such as the WCF.
OKC Needs To Balance Its Rotation Better
Aside from its starting lineup being quite in disarray, Daigneault also has to figure out which of his bench pieces will be worth using. Caruso has already proven his worth, but it is hard to expect that the bulk of the team’s scoring alone would come from the former Chicago Bulls forward. In fact, there’s going to be a need to balance Mitchell’s minutes to complement SGA or even try playing him alongside J-Dub for much better off-ball playmaking. Offense is a massive issue for the Thunder in their Game 1 loss, and it is expected that there will be a lot of adjustments moving forward.
I don’t think OKC wants their bench unit to play against a Wemby defense
Playing off of Shai’s gravity is your best hope https://t.co/sGLpydJvpu
— Gur Singh (@HoopFocusX) May 19, 2026
Caruso, however, already knows his role and can always be a reliable force on the offense when needed. However, if he is going to be OKC’s best scorer in the Thunder vs Spurs series, then Oklahoma City may be headed for the offseason earlier than most people expect. You don’t expect Caruso to be in the starting role at this point, even if he did have the best performance for the Thunder in Game 1.
True enough, Caruso is the best piece that OKC can ask for in this series, but it would take the rest of the team for them to beat the Spurs and punch their ticket for a repeat at the NBA Finals and extend their season all the way to June.
Featured Image: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
