Alex Caruso comes full circle in return to OKC Thunder, but he's ready to 'grow some more'

(This article was updated to change a headline.)

As he stepped onto the stage at Thunder media day , Alex Caruso found himself reminiscing about his rookie season.

Caruso was still finding his footing as a 22-year-old new to the intricate world of the NBA. An undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M, Caruso spent that season honing his skills with the Thunder's G-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

"It was a good learning experience for me just figuring out what professional basketball was," Caruso said.

Eight years later, Caruso is back in OKC as both player and franchise have come full circle, back on the same timeline and ready to chase an NBA championship together.

The landscape in OKC has changed drastically.

OKC has rebuilt its entire roster since the 2016-17 Russell Westbrook-led Thunder. Only a handful of coaches and front office staffers from that era remain with the organization.

However, the idea of playing under former OKC Blue head coach Mark Daigneault again adds another nostalgic layer to Caruso’s comeback.

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"I start smiling and laughing thinking about it because we have such a good relationship," Caruso said, referring to Daigneault on Monday.

"He's still pretty much the same. He's grown as a basketball mind, obviously, to get to the level and coach the team to the success that they've reached. (I'm) really just happy to be back with him and get to grow some more."

Déjà vu struck when Caruso learned about his trade back to Oklahoma City in June , which involved the Thunder sending guard Josh Giddey , who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, to the Chicago Bulls in return.

Eight years have passed, yet much remains unchanged about the 30-year-old from College Station, Texas.

This time around, he sports a headband and an arm sleeve, wearing No. 9 instead of No. 21.

He also carries the distinction of an NBA championship ring, earned as a key rotation player in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 title run.

"The one thing that I remember about him that's held true throughout his career is he's always in the team and engaged in the moment of the game, and he is never out of character with those two things," Daigneault said.

"That was when he was in his first day as a rookie. He was like that."

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Caruso is rejoining the Thunder at the peak of his career, having posted personal bests in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, and minutes during the 2023-24 season.

However, it’s his defensive prowess that truly sets him apart.

He's a two-time All-Defensive player, making the first team in 2022-23 and the second team this past season. With him on the floor a year ago, the Bulls posted a 110.6 defensive rating, which plummeted to a 117.0 defensive rating whenever he came off the court.

His ability to disrupt plays is unmatched, which led to Caruso finishing in the top five in most defensive metrics and hustle stats last season.

He led the entire league with 3.7 deflections per game, finishing seventh in loose balls recovered and fourth in defensive estimated plus-minus, which calculates a player's overall defensive impact per 100 possessions.

No matter how you frame it, Caruso has cemented himself as one of the best defenders at any position in the entire NBA.

And he now joins a Thunder defense which was the NBA's fourth-highest rated a year ago.

"I think what comes naturally for me is playing defense," Caruso said. "It was always about improvement, and I went from stealing minutes as a two-way to being on the All-Defensive Team. They put a lot of effort into it last year, and that's something that I put a lot of effort into on that side of the ball.

"But that's defense in the NBA. If you don't go out and play your best, anybody is capable of getting 30, 40, teams scoring 130. It's just about showing up and doing it every night."

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On the offensive side, Caruso will serve as a vital connector for the Thunder.

Last season, OKC boasted the third-best offense in the league, thanks to its high-volume efficiency. The team averaged the third-most points per game while finishing eighth in pace and third in team true shooting percentage.

Caruso is an ideal fit in Daigneault’s system as a shooter, passer and screener. This past season, he shot 41% from 3-point range on a career-high 4.7 attempts per game while averaging 10.1 points.

"I think AC does everything right," Thunder forward Jalen Williams said. "He just plays the right way, which is kind of like a rare thing, I would say, in basketball in general. Just somebody that can understand, and I don't want to say fit a role, but just whatever is asked, he's going to be very good at doing that."

After finishing as the No. 1 seed in the West last season, expectations for the Thunder have risen to immense heights since adding Caruso and former New York Knicks big man Isaiah Hartenstein to the mix.

Yet, Caruso is no stranger to pressure having played alongside LeBron James in the past.

And he's embracing those challenges in his new role.

"It's the NBA — everyone starts 0-0 at the beginning of the year and thinks that they could win a championship or reach the playoffs," Caruso said. "I'm excited to add to whatever they did in the past, but obviously, we have to go out and do it again. There's no handouts."

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_ . Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com

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Preseason opener

THUNDER AT SPURS: 7 p.m. Monday at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio (Bally Sports Oklahoma)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Alex Caruso comes full circle in return to OKC Thunder, but he's ready to 'grow some more'