{"id":196198,"date":"2026-05-20T10:00:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=196198"},"modified":"2026-05-20T01:44:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T05:44:56","slug":"alex-caruso-okc-bench","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/05\/20\/alex-caruso-okc-bench\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Alex Caruso The Best Piece Off The OKC Bench?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alex Caruso<\/a>‘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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> struggled to produce<\/a>, Chet Holmgren<\/a> was not able to impose himself<\/a> in the game, and Jalen Williams<\/a> was shaking off some rust<\/a> in his return. Caruso seemed to be the only positive that the defending champions had in the loss.<\/p>\n

Is Alex Caruso The Best Piece Off The OKC Bench?<\/span><\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

The OKC Bench Needs To Step Up<\/h3>\n

Aside from Caruso dropping 30 points to lead the defending champs in scoring, the rest of the Thunder bench<\/a> actually played poorly. Ajay Mitchell<\/a>, who’s been a superb player in the West Semis<\/a>, 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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Jared McCain<\/a>, who’s also been explosive in the previous round<\/a>, didn’t get many touches as he should have to make an impact. Even Isaiah Joe<\/a>, 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<\/a> dipping his toes in the Western Conference Finals after missing out on the first two rounds.<\/p>\n

\n

Alex Caruso \u2014 The Ultimate Glue Guy \ud83d\udd25 Every Bucket | Game 1 vs Spurs \ud83c\udfaf pic.twitter.com\/XCgJrZ9ejm<\/a><\/p>\n

— Not Locked On Fantasy Basketball (@MaarkyBoy) May 19, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n