The ‘Jokić Stopper’: How Alex Caruso and the Thunder defense snatched Game 7

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OKLAHOMA CITY — As an assemblage of Thunder players anxiously huddled around head coach Mark Daigneault during an early timeout on Sunday, veteran guard Alex Caruso — holding a white towel in his hand — separated from the pack and approached the court.

Daigneault had seen some worrying signs from his players — particularly in the energy department — despite the game being less than three minutes in and Denver only being up 8-4. But as the rest of the team discussed how to avoid any Game 6 mistakes, Caruso was shuffling his feet aggressively under the basket, almost like he was back at the draft combine in the shuttle run.

The 31-year-old, an NBA champion, had been in high-pressure moments before, so he didn’t need a reminder of his job description or what would be asked of him. So after the conclusion of the timeout, when the Thunder PA announcer’s voice reverberated across Paycom Center, the request was simple. And as much as it was intended for the thousands of Thunder fans, it was truly a message for Caruso himself.

“The energy starts with you.”

The energy is what pushed Caruso, the scrappy kid from College Station, Texas, to the pros. The energy is what led him to the G League after going undrafted. The energy, which Caruso harnessed as a member of the Lakers and Bulls — earning All-Defense honors along the way — is what made him attractive to Thunder general manager Sam Presti, who acquired him via trade last summer.

Caruso’s NBA journey ironically began in Oklahoma City when the Thunder waived him nine years ago. On Sunday night, he was the one waving the Nuggets goodbye.

“I’m allowed to just be myself,” said Caruso, who finished with 11 points, three assists and three steals in the Thunder’s resounding 125-93 win. “That’s where I thrive, going out there and play my game which has gotten me to this point. The reason why they made the trade for me last summer was because they recognized the stuff I was good at and helped elevate the players around me. They encouraged me to do that. The guys make it really easy because they have a lot of trust in me too.”

Upon checking into the game midway through the first quarter, Caruso sewed himself into Nikola Jokić’s pocket. Through the first six games of the series, the Thunder had experimented with a few different coverages on the three-time MVP and found some success early on. But over his last two games — with Jokić scoring 29 and 44 points on efficient outings — it was clear that the cerebral Serbian had figured out what Oklahoma City was doing and could work against it.

So Daigneault went with Caruso, his most trusted defender, to attempt to slow Jokić down. Despite Caruso being six inches shorter and giving up more than 100 pounds, the Thunder trusted Caruso in Game 7 like they’ve done all season long. In his eight seasons, Caruso has logged thousands of minutes chasing all sorts of players around. (His team’s have also been better defensively with him on the floor, according to Cleaning the Glass.) And to be clear, there’s no such thing as a Jokić stopper, but Daigneault only needed to squeeze enough juice out of Caruso’s knees for one more night.

The task of denying Jokić the ball is a tall one, and not one for the feint of heart. At his best, Jokić is the schoolyard bully that pummels his way through even the most aggressive of children. But Caruso, an accomplished, savvy defender, is the pesky, arrogant kid that isn’t afraid of bullies. According to Basketball Index, Caruso ranks in the 95th percentile in defensive position versatility, 72nd in rim deterrence, 93rd in rim points saved and 62nd in time spent guarding centers — unreal benchmarks for a 6-foot-5 guard with an average wingspan. Simply put, he’s more than capable of handling the challenge.

The marvel at the above possession isn’t simply in the fact that Caruso swarmed Jokić twice in a matter of a few seconds. It’s that the possession ended in the best possible outcome for the Thunder, a Russell Westbrook wing 3. If he makes the shot, you tip your cap.

Even when Denver tried to counter by running high screens with Jokić and Jamal Murray, Oklahoma City had an answer. Cason Wallace, who recorded two steals and a flurry of defensive activity, is an underrated screen navigator — which also allows Caruso to stay on Jokić as long as possible. Watch as they work in tandem in the second half of the possession, Caruso able to swipe down at Murray and be quick enough to obstruct an entry pass to Jokić.

“The volume of it today was a result of how effective it was,” Daigneault said. “But it was a priority going into today and he did an unbelievable job. If you’re putting a 6-5 guard on a player like that, you need relentless help and pressure on the entry passes, and it all works together. So he had an amazing effort individually, but it takes a team defense to make that effect and the guys executed the hell out of that.”

But what made Caruso’s efforts so magical and timely was the trickle-down effect it had on the team. His spirit was infectious, with aggression up and down the roster. During the regular season, the Thunder were the league’s No. 1 unit in forced opponent turnovers (18.3, according to NBA.com tracking data). In Game 7, they rediscovered their essence. Oklahoma City pounced all over Denver, forcing 23 turnovers, turning them into a whopping 37 points at the other end.

“I thought our pressure today was a difference-maker in the game,” Daigneault said. “We accessed that at different times in this series, but today we did it consistently for 48 minutes. It was such a catalyst for us — the pressure, deflections, turnovers. Even when they got shots, I thought the pressure and help disrupted the rhythm of those shots. The guys did a great job of sifting through the noise of Game 7, focusing on what we need to do to win and execute it.”

In Game 7, Jokić finished 20 points but made just five field goals to go along with five turnovers. Caruso’s attention to detail made it nearly impossible for Jokić to find any semblance of rhythm, and helped the Thunder slowly build a commanding lead. If you take nothing else from today, watch Caruso below. This is like the gum that you just can’t get off the bottom of your shoe. Unrelenting.

“It’s a lot of hard work, obviously,” Caruso said. “But he’s a difficult matchup because he does so many different things to get others involved and influence the game. Being relentless with my energy, the effort to make it tough on him. The guys around me did a good job of helping and swarming, because I’m not doing that on my own. Understanding the flow of the game, where you could be physical and where you can’t.”

The Thunder will now advance to their first conference final in nearly a decade, against a feisty Minnesota Timberwolves team full of confidence having disposed of the Golden State Warriors in five games. And despite Sunday night featuring positive signs for Oklahoma City — Jalen Williams breaking out of his scoring slump, another monster game for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — the crux of the upcoming Western Conference finals will be whether the Thunder have the defensive tools to slow down Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. There’s an argument to be made that Caruso, who will more than likely see his fair share against both Edwards and Randle, should be inserted into the starting lineup. But regardless of Caruso’s role, his number will be called.

“He’s a player who rises to the occasion,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He’s a player that understands a moment, controls what he can control and does that at a very high level. Nobody that I’ve ever played with does that at a higher level. He’s always figuring out how to change the game and better the team. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Tuesday in February in New Orleans or a Game 7 tonight. To have a guy like that on your team, it’s special.”

(Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

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