Alex Caruso talks about expectations for next season in recent interview

New Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso was thrust onto a larger stage back in June when he was traded from the Chicago Bulls. After winning an NBA championship in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers, the guard quietly made ends meet on an average franchise in Chicago.

With the Bulls not winning many games in the last several seasons, Caruso’s impact wasn’t as underscored as when he was in L.A. But now that he is preparing to debut for a team that was the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference a season ago, his expectations have seemingly climaxed.

Many forecast an effortless pairing with his new Thunder teammates — but how ready is the 30-year-old to conquer the pressure of playing on an elite team again?

AC opens up about his new chapter

In a recent interview with “TexAgs Radio,” Caruso was asked about the upcoming season and how he envisions his impact on an already budding championship contender. With his experience and savvy, the defensive-minded guard often delivers a striking impact, regardless of how much he has to contort his role. He now aims to do in OKC what he has been doing for nearly a decade.

“Being first in the West is a tall task just because of the buzzsaw that is the Western Conference,” says the Texas native . “[...] For me, you gotta stay in the present. That’s kind of been the key to success, so we’re gonna keep doing that. Obviously, [we have] high expectations. I’m excited just to get to know some of my new teammates. Mark Daigneault, our head coach, he coached me when I was in Oklahoma City in the G League. … He knows how to coach me [and] how to push me.”

Caruso’s familiarity with Oklahoma City was a major driving force in his return to Bricktown. Years ago, he was an undrafted rookie free agent that the Thunder invited for a workout. After tryouts, the guard was signed to the Oklahoma City Blue roster, where he played one season before being picked up off waivers by the Lakers.

Having an established connection with Mark Daigeneault will only help to accelerate Caruso’s fit and how well he plays his role. Without an amicable relationship with the Thunder franchise stemming from his past, perhaps he would’ve still been in Chicago.

On exciting offseason moves

The former Bull was one of the few headlining moves of the summer for the Thunder. Less than two weeks after the blockbuster trade, OKC scooped up former New York Knicks big man Isaiah Harteinstein to bolster the team’s interior with another two-way force.

The franchise also hastened to re-sign a pair of emerging stars in sharpshooters Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. Put together, it was a superstar offseason for the blue and orange, and it is something that elevates Caruso’s unwavering confidence in his new team.

“We added a couple pieces in the offseason. [The Thunder] resigned some of the young guys. Me [and] Isaiah Hartenstein [are], I think, two phenomenal basketball players that fit well on the team. Just looking at it on paper, I think we do a lot of stuff that [the Thunder] need and can contribute and help them be successful,” Caruso says.

Surrounded by a cavalcade of rising stars, the veteran guard feels right at home and is ready to do his part to make Oklahoma City the champions for the first time since it moved to Bricktown in 2008. In less than two months, Caruso will make his Thunder debut and hopefully set a powerful tone for a successful first season in OKC.

Related: Alex Caruso’s No. 1 expectation next season