The Thunder have dealt with injuries all season, which could be their downfall. One player, though, has seemingly been injured the most on the team. Alex Caruso was traded to the Thunder during the summer of 2024, and when he plays, he does not disappoint. Some claim that, Caruso rarely ever plays and is constantly injured. However, this is not entirely true, as the idea that Caruso is injury-prone may be a false narrative.
Alex Caruso Injury Prone Narrative is a False One at Best
With the defensive-minded guard dealing with an ankle and hip injury as well as an illness, he has only played in 42 out of 65 games so far this season. This is just over half of the games played in a regular season, but few games are left. This may seem like a ton to miss, but this is common with Caruso. His best season of staying healthy was last season, playing 71 games. The seasons before, though, are very similar to those of this one. Caruso played in 67 games in 2022-23 and 58 in 2020-21. In the 2019-2020 season, when the Lakers won the championship with Caruso, played in 64 out of 71 games.
It is frustrating to see him miss games, but that’s just how things go in the NBA. The Thunder have dealt with the injury bug all season. Isaiah Hartenstein had to miss time at the beginning of the season, and Chet Holmgren missed over half the season. The 2020 champion has not missed games for extended periods; he misses two to three games at a time. This is something you can live with, especially when you are as good as the Thunder are this season.
New Injury Woes
Caruso is not the only player who has dealt with injuries, as mentioned above. Now, one of the two All-Stars for Oklahoma City did not travel with the team on their three-game road trip. Jalen Williams was injured in his last matchup against the Denver Nuggets. He is missing the next few games with a hip injury and does not have a timetable for a return.
This is a scary thought for the Thunder fanbase, as Holmgren dealt with a hip injury earlier this season. It does not seem to be to the same extent as Holmgren’s injury, but it is still something to be worried about. Every player on this Thunder team is vital to a championship run, and health will be the only thing that can stop them.
Williams needs to get healthy again, but Caruso must also do a better job staying off the injury report. His playstyle constantly causes his body to get bruised and banged up. The same can be said for Williams or any player on this young squad. However, claiming that Caruso is injury-prone, along with any other player on this Thunder team, is a false narrative. They are mainly minor injuries that layers can usually play through. You will also see guys like Caruso play through these injuries in the playoffs. The final line is that Thunder fans do not need to worry about Caruso being injury-prone or missing an extended period.
Photo credit: © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
