OKC Thunder 3 goals: Alex Caruso hopes to be fresh by start of NBA playoffs

A summer filled with celebration nears its end. Only a month remains until the Oklahoma City Thunder start the 2025-26 regular season. The NBA champion has enjoyed its accomplishments, but soon a new marathon will start with them at the top.

Bringing back mostly the same roster, the Thunder are the consensus title favorite. They're viewed as a team that could pull off the rare feat of being a back-to-back champion. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren all signed contract extensions this offseason to keep their title window wide open.

To prepare for the 2025-26 regular season, Thunder Wire will lay out three goals for all 17 players on the roster. OKC has 15 standard players and two two-way players. Let's look at Alex Caruso and what he could accomplish this upcoming year:

Stay healthy

One of the strategies the Thunder utilized last season was to put Caruso in bubble wrap. The 31-year-old only played in 54 games in the regular season and averaged just 19.3 minutes. That was his lowest minute total since his third year. The hope was to manage his workload to enter the playoffs with fresh legs. If he sustained a small injury, they were cautious. He rarely played back-to-back games. The plan worked as he was one of OKC's best players in the playoffs.

Considering they won an NBA championship, expect the Thunder to repeat this formula. Caruso's playstyle better suits the playoffs than the regular season. You don't want him to get injured diving for a loose ball in a regular-season contest. Instead, you want him to do that with the highest stakes. That's why you should expect another similar season where he comes off the bench and isn't asked to play through any injuries.

Improve outside shot

It took Caruso a while to get going last season, but his outside shooting dipped. At least in the regular season. He shot 35.3% from 3 on 3.1 attempts. It took him a while to get to that percentage as he had a slow start. The playoffs were a different story, though. He shot 41.1% from 3 on 3.9 attempts on their way to an NBA championship. He'll have another campaign where he should get plenty of catch-and-shoot looks. Let's hope he can cash in on them better in the regular season.

Caruso has turned into a reliable outside shooter. That's been one of the more underrated aspects of his developmental path from undrafted rookie to a two-time All-Defense Team member. He could be due for a better year from the outside. Of course, that's the most volatile variable in basketball. Sometimes you just need better luck.

Help defense stay strong

The Thunder had one of the best defenses the NBA has seen last year. They were at the top or near it in every defensive statistical category. It's not a coincidence that happened upon Caruso's arrival. He's one of the best defenders of his era. Both with his on-court production and what he brings as a communicator. You heard his teammates all season praise the latter, as he controlled traffic and told his teammates where to go.

Considering how rich the Thunder are at that end of the floor, they should have similar success this upcoming season. They'll be near the top of most defensive categories. Expect them to have plenty of second-half avalanches fueled by that end of the floor with a surplus of turnovers. Caruso will be at the top of that, as he averaged 1.6 steals in just 19 minutes off the bench. His savviness has given OKC an extra coach on the floor.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder 3 goals: Alex Caruso hopes to be fresh in NBA playoffs