Alex Caruso isn’t chasing highlight reels or piling up flashy stats. But put him on a mission like “make Anthony Edwards miserable,” and he delivers every time. His smart, physical defense has been the secret weapon for OKC. It’s a big reason they’ve kept Minnesota’s star in check and controlled this series.

In Game 5, by the second quarter, Caruso had already racked up two steals. He held Edwards to just six points on 2-of-5 shooting. It wasn’t luck — it was precise execution of a defensive game plan clicking perfectly.

What sets Caruso apart is how he plays the mental game. He battles through screens, reads Minnesota’s plays like an open book, and uses his body to disrupt Edwards just enough to throw him off balance. But when Ant gains even a slight edge, Caruso knows when to back off — avoiding fouls and free points. That kind of high-IQ defense? It’s rare, and it shows.

Even Charles Barkley noticed. He said, “This kid was so unbelievable.” That’s the first time this season anyone on the Thunder got called a “kid” by a Hall of Famer. And trust me, that’s respect earned the hard way.

Analysts have been buzzing about Caruso’s “indispensable” defense all series long. In Game 4, he wasn’t just a stopper — he dropped 10 points and sparked a defense that forced 21 Minnesota turnovers. His playoff defensive rating of 103.8 tells you just how disruptive he’s been when it matters most.

Even Anthony Edwards had to tip his hat. “They were shooting the gaps. I just didn’t get enough chances to shoot the ball. It was what they were doing, not what I didn’t do,” he admitted. Caruso and Lu Dort’s lockdown defense kept Edwards to just 16 points on 13 shots in Game 4 — a big dip from his earlier explosive performances.

Sam Presti’s bold offense-for-defense gamble has paid off — and then some. Swapping rising offensive talent Josh Giddey for defensive specialist Alex Caruso raised eyebrows at the time, but it’s turned into a postseason masterstroke. Caruso has been instrumental in the Thunder’s success this playoff run, bringing exactly what OKC needed: toughness, experience, and elite perimeter defense. This is precisely the kind of impact Presti envisioned when he pulled the trigger on that trade.

Bottom line: Caruso’s defensive mastery isn’t just a nice bonus. It’s a driving force behind the Thunder’s push — now just one win away from the NBA Finals. And if you ask me, that’s some of the best, smartest defense you’ll see all postseason.

Alex Caruso Didn’t Just Turn Into a Stopper — He’s Always Been One

Now, Alex Caruso’s lockdown defense on Anthony Edwards might be grabbing headlines. But anyone who’s been paying attention knows — this isn’t some playoff glow-up. This is who Alex Caruso has always been.

Even in the last series against Denver Nuggets, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault trusted Caruso — a 6-foot-5 guard — to take on the 6-foot-11, 284-pound three-time MVP Nikola Jokić during stretches of a win-or-go-home Game 7. That kind of assignment isn’t handed out lightly. Still, Caruso delivered. He put up 11 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals in OKC’s 125–93 blowout win. More impressively, he helped limit Jokić to just 20 points on five made field goals. More importantly, he disrupted Denver’s entire rhythm. The Nuggets turned the ball over 23 times and gave up 37 points of those mistakes.

That wasn’t a one-time overachievement, either. From going undrafted in 2016 to winning an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020, Caruso has built a career out of doing the dirty work most players shy away from. He’s never been flashy. Yet coaches love him because he changes games without needing the ball.

Whether it was locking up perimeter stars in L.A., diving for loose balls in Chicago, or now spearheading OKC’s defensive identity — Caruso has made a living off hustle, IQ, and fearless matchups. In 2023, he earned First Team All-Defense honors. Then in 2024, he followed that up with a Second Team nod — proof his reputation is finally catching up to his impact.

Statistically, he’s as reliable as they come. A career defensive rating of 109.1. Around 542 steals. Over 1,000 defensive rebounds. Top-tier rankings in versatility and rim deterrence. But the numbers only tell part of the story. Alex Caruso brings an energy that ignites entire defenses. Teammates feed off it. Coaches build around it. Opponents? They just try to survive it.

What he’s doing to Anthony Edwards now — taking away angles, baiting bad shots, forcing mistakes — that’s not new. It’s vintage Caruso. Only now, he’s doing it under the brightest lights. One win away from the Finals.