Oklahoma City’s opening night demolition of Denver proved that the preseason excitement was well-deserved. The Thunder improved their already elite roster this offseason, and the buzz around the team wasn’t just talk. When they’re at their best, there aren’t many teams in the NBA that can slow them down.

Thunder added Isaiah Hartenstein Filling out the frontcourt depth and adding another playmaking big man should pay off exponentially. But the action below the radar was changing Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso. No one saw the move coming, but it was easy to imagine what Caruso would look like in the Thunder’s system. If the first game is any indication, the transition will be as seamless as possible.

Caruso’s impact on the court is a stark contrast to the handful of point guards the Thunder have had in the past. It’s easy to track boxing scores across the league and see the big point totals accruing each night. Even assists and rebounds sometimes don’t tell the whole story. Caruso is the exact opposite. His impact may not be fully shown on the stat sheet, but his presence is felt every time he steps on the field. He instantly makes his team better and will do anything to help the Thunder win, including sacrificing his personal stats.

On Thursday night in Denver, Caruso played 19 minutes and made just two shots overall. He recorded six rebounds and four assists, two of which were offensive rebounds. He didn’t score, but he was an excellent anchor for the Thunder. He finished the game with a team-high +19. Plus-minus isn’t the be-all and end-all in the NBA, but it can be useful when paired with the eye test. And Caruso’s impact was felt on the field and in the penalty area.

He was diving for loose balls, extending possessions, tackling offensive and defensive rebounds, and filling a critical role for the Thunder. Oklahoma City has plenty of legitimate isolation scorers and they don’t need another one in Caruso. He’s a connector on the court and knows who needs the ball, and that’s exactly what the Thunder need from a top-tier role player.

Amidst the fun, Caruso even gave his first post-game bark at the team’s on-field interview.

Oklahoma City needed a player who didn’t care about personal stats and only about impact on the field. They took that player for Caruso and that was evident last night.

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