Alex Caruso thinks Spurs are a Finals team, for more than just Wemby

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Alex Caruso thinks Spurs are a Finals team, for more than just Wemby

Josue Pavon, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Jan 13, 2026 ·

3 min read

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Alex Caruso thinks Spurs are a Finals team, for more than just Wemby appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Oklahoma City Thunder veteran Alex Caruso sees a team that's tailor-made to compete for championships in the future in San Antonio Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama 's supporting cast of a young, multi-faceted group of guards. Ahead of the Spurs potentially sweeping the Thunder season series 4-0 at the Paycom Center on Tuesday, Caruso compared the young core to last year's Thunder team and its NBA Finals opponent, the Indiana Pacers .

Caruso revealed his take on the Spurs guards' potential during Thunder shootaround ahead of Tuesday's matchup.

"I think that's the template that the league is going to. I think that's why us and Indiana made the Finals last year," Caruso said. "We had multiple guys making reads, creating plays, depending on what the defense told you to take. There were four or five guys on a court at any point in time for both teams in the biggest stage, and that's how they both played.

"The game has transformed into dribble, pass, shoot; everybody can kind do everything. But it's really getting to the point to where it's like you gotta have three or four guys on the court at all times that can take people off the dribble, shoot, make the right play. It's just harder to guard when you do that."

For Caruso, the margin of error is razor-thin against the Spurs.

"There's no trap door for the defense where it's like, alright, you can plug off this, and force it here, or do this," Caruso added. "You just have to be really sharp with your x's and o's in your habits of closing out, xing out, winning one-on-one closeouts, moving as a team in shell, and that's some of the harder stuff to do because, like I said earlier, guys are just really, really good."

Alex Caruso on defending Spurs' Victor Wembanyama

Ahead of Tuesday's matchup, Thunder guard Alex Caruso revealed a secret for guarding Victor Wembanyama, which he learned the hard way amidst the defending champions' three losses in 12 days to the Spurs. Caruso a one-on-one approach is fatal against Wembanyama, regardless if you're one of the greatest defenders in league history or not, the All-Star phenom will make you pay.

"Play against him, obviously, don't go 1-on-1. Well, I say that — I did that last game, he got a layup," Caruso said. "I think you have to be smart. You have to be smart with your attacks just like any good defender. If you got prime Jrue Holiday or Tony Allen , you're not going to try to ISO one-on-one from the wing; that's not a very good option for you.

"Try to move him around, get him out of shell, get him in a closeout; just finding different ways to put him in positions that aren't advantageous for him, but are for us."

The Spurs are the only team to have beaten the Thunder more than once, and will go for their fourth win on the road on Tuesday.

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