There are still stable outputs on both ends of the offense and defense. Should the Thunder give more trust to the backcourt gate?

In a previous NBA Finals G1 game, the Indiana Pacers completed a comeback in the final quarter and narrowly defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder who played at home with a quasi-final win of the backcourt core Tyrese Haliburton. After this game, the Pacers took the lead in the series, leading the opponent 1-0 with a total score, and gaining a psychological advantage.

Although the Thunder lost the game, the team's substitute backcourt Alex Caruso's performance was actually quite good. Caruso played 28 minutes and 28 seconds in the game, made 3 of 8 shots, 1 of 4 from outside the three-point line, and 4 of 5 free throws, scoring 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, and 1 turnover and 5 fouls, with a plus-minus value of +2. Although Caruso's feel is not particularly ideal on the offensive end, he has also shown a very good personal adjustment ability. He has also won a lot of points through various methods, providing a lot of support for the team, and he also has a certain ability to dominate the ball. Not only that, Caruso's performance on the defensive end is still very reliable. He is still a very outstanding outside defender. His personal defensive ability is online and his defensive contribution is also quite outstanding. Caruso tried his best on both offense and defense, but he was just a substitute player and his ball rights were relatively limited, so he could not decide the final direction of the game.

In the NBA regular season this season, Caruso played 54 games in 82 games, averaging 19.3 minutes per game, averaging 7.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 0.7 turnovers and 1.9 fouls. His shooting percentage was 44.6%, a three-point shooting percentage of 35.3%, and a free throw shooting percentage of 82.4%. In the playoffs, Caruso averaged 22.9 minutes in the first 17 games, with averaging 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 0.7 turnovers and 2.8 fouls. He shot 45.2%, three-point shooting percentage 40.6%, and free throw shooting percentage 76.9%.

Caruso's overall performance during the playoffs was very outstanding. He always maintained an extremely outstanding feel and game feel. His offensive performance has improved significantly compared to the regular season. He has shown extremely outstanding personal abilities on the defensive end and is the top outside defender in the league. Being able to maintain such a state and level without too much playing time and not having too high tactical status is enough to show how outstanding Caruso's personal ability is. In the next playoffs, perhaps the Thunder should also provide Caruso with more playing time and higher tactical status. With his ability, he deserves more trust. Caruso may be the player who is capable of helping the team save the situation.