To ground the Spurs' rising dynasty, Oklahoma City must weaponize Alex Caruso’s defensive versatility and Ajay Mitchell’s breakout playmaking to survive Victor Wembanyama’s interior dominance.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is scheduled for May 18. It’s arguably the most anticipated non-Finals series since the 2018 clash between Golden State and Houston.
Will the Thunder delay Victor Wembanyama’s ascension? Or are the Spurs set to make a statement? Here are three X-Factors for the Thunder.
Alex Caruso
Few players in the NBA possess more defensive versatility than Alex Caruso. Whether it’s marking De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle or even Victor Wembanyama, Mark Daigneault will move Caruso around the court like a chess piece. He needs to deliver defensively by walling off driving lanes and generating transition opportunities via turnovers.
On the other end, Caruso was phenomenal at creating off the catch when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dumped the basketball to him because of the Lakers’ double teams. If the Spurs deploy this strategy, then Caruso being able to attack space effectively is key. He has also knocked down triples at a 38.2% clip this playoffs, and this trend must continue versus San Antonio.
Caruso is the Michael Jordan of X-Factors. He’s a complete game-changer, so look for his fingerprints to be all over this series. It’s worth noting that Caruso’s total plus-minus was +25 against San Antonio during the regular season. The veteran was the only Thunder player in the positive double digits.
Ajay Mitchell
Between Castle’s on-ball defense and Wembanyama’s help defense, Gilgeous-Alexander will have his hands full. Oklahoma City needs other players to reliably create off the bounce and attack space in order to alleviate some of the burden from Gilgeous-Alexander’s shoulders. It would also discourage San Antonio from blitzing the MVP near half court.
Enter Ajay Mitchell. The sophomore has averaged 18.8 points, 4.9 assists and 1.1 turnover per game so far this postseason. He’s potentially in the process of taking a Jalen Brunson-esque leap. If Mitchell can dominate as a scorer and playmaker, then the Thunder’s offense should be able to solve the Spurs’ defense. It’s especially crucial that he produces should Jalen Williams sustain another injury or fail to shake off the rust in time.
Mitchell only played in two of the five games against the Spurs this regular season, and it was a 1-1 split. Oklahoma City won his minutes in both contests.
Isaiah Hartenstein
Isaiah Hartenstein had mixed results against San Antonio this season. The veteran was effective on the glass, especially as an offensive rebounder. He also scored at a decent rate via lobs and put-backs. On the flip side, Hartenstein often struggled to defend in space against San Antonio’s athletes. Turnovers and fouls were slight issues, too.
It will be worth monitoring whether Hartenstein should mostly play during the Wembanyama or Luke Kornet minutes.