With a 3-2 series lead, OKC now looks forward to slamming the door shut and moving on to the NBA Finals. However, whether or not the Thunder win in Game 6, Alex Caruso deserves to be named as the WCF MVP by the end of this series. If you have watched the Western Conference Finals closely, you’d have enough reason to believe why he’s the frontrunner for the said award.
So far, we have been seeing his grit and grind in each game, with the Thunder riding on his back. From making the best defensive plays for the team and coming up with key buckets for the defending champs, Caruso has been a beast in the Thunder vs Spurs series.
Alex Caruso Deserves To Win WCF MVP
As the best veteran player that Oklahoma City has on the floor, it cannot be denied that his experience is paying off for the defending champions. So far, Caruso definitely deserves his flowers should the Thunder move on to the NBA Finals in either six or seven games. That’s why he has a strong case for the WCF MVP.
Caruso Is Bringing The Thunder In His Game
Averaging 17.0 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds, it cannot be denied that Caruso has been quite a beast in the Thunder vs Spurs matchup. Considering how Jalen Williams‘ injury has opened up the floor for him, Caruso is starting to bring his presence on the floor on both ends. For starters, his offense has spiked up with his high-volume shooting, making a total of 18 threes so far.
ALEX CARUSO: SHARPSHOOTER!
Game 1: 8-14 3PM
Game 2: 3-4 3PM
Game 3: 3-5 3PM
Game 5: 4-8 3PMHe sets a new postseason NBA record for most 3PM off the bench in a single Conference Finals series (18) 🤯
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2026
That’s the most threes made by a player off the bench in the Western Conference Finals. Sure, he had that stinker in Game 4, where he didn’t even attempt a three in the loss. However, it’s clear that Caruso has been proving his worth so far, and his two-way impact has certainly given them a huge boost.
If anything, Caruso has been the best player on the floor for OKC in this series. His high level of play has set the tone for Oklahoma City, and they’re getting the best version of him so far. His high-impact offense and impressive POA defense have been key for the Thunder’s victories, and there’s no way they’re winning without him at this point.
Alex Caruso Has Negated Wembanyama On Defense
Not to negate Isaiah Hartenstein and his physical defense that has completely changed the dynamic for OKC, but Caruso has been silently effective on Victor Wembanyama in these games. For starters, Wembanyama is shooting 4 of 9 from the field and 1/5 from deep with three turnovers when Caruso is on the defensive duty. Contrary to popular belief, wing players do actually work against Wemby, and it cannot be denied that OKC may be reserving Caruso on Wembanyama at full-time in either a tight Game 6 or in Game 7.
Victor Wembanyama when guarded by Alex Caruso this series:
4/9 FG (44.4%)
1/5 3PT (20.0%)
3 turnoversCaruso when guarded by Wemby:
13/17 FG (76.5%)
9/11 3PT (81.8%)
1 turnover pic.twitter.com/TVG7QXZWgn— Underdog (@Underdog) May 27, 2026
On the other hand, Caruso has played loose whenever he faced Wembanyama on the other side. In fact, Caruso has made 13 of his 17 attempts from the field with the Spurs center in front of him. He’s also knocked down nine threes and only had one turnover. That’s just an absurd set of numbers, considering that Caruso is playing against the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.
OKC Is Playing Caruso Heavy Minutes
If you need to look for more reasons to believe why Caruso has a legitimate case for the WCF MVP, look no further than his minutes. Coming off the bench, Captain Chaos is averaging 24.7 minutes in this series. That is the fifth-most in the OKC roster, just behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace, and Jared McCain – some of whom have been outplayed by Caruso in the WCF.
Alex Caruso in WCF:
17.0 PPG | 3.6 3PM | 1.6 SPG | 1.0 BPG
56.8% FG
58.1% 3P
81.0% FTin only 24.7 MPG — a +42 overall
Championship Player pic.twitter.com/T7Ufelp5Xy
— Hoop Muse (@HoopMuse) May 27, 2026
However, why has Mark Daigneault elected to play Caruso with heavy minutes in this series? Because the Bald Mamba has the highest +/- at +42 in the series so far. He’s making the biggest impact in the series for the defending champions. In fact, four of the top five in that stat have come from the OKC bench, which says a lot about their value against a team of the Spurs’ caliber.
Can The Bald Mamba Win The WCF MVP?
This isn’t the first time that role players have stepped up well to snatch an individual award from the consensus favorite. It can be remembered that Andre Iguodala won the 2015 Finals MVP award over Stephen Curry. He wasn’t the biggest scorer, but he had the most impact to help Golden State win that series.
If anything, this just proves that Caruso can snag the WCF MVP award. Should the Thunder win, either in six or seven, the award will be between him and SGA. However, considering how the MVP has struggled to impose his will in the series, it’s safe to say that Caruso would be the ideal name to win it.
Featured Image: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
