The Thunder’s Alec Caruso received the threat designation after a defensive masterclass against the Jazz

The The Oklahoma City Thunder have been dominant all season although they were still not at full strength for one game. Alec Carusoone of their big summer acquisitions, is dealing with some injury problems of his own, but make no mistake – Caruso is still a game changer when healthy. And on Wednesday night, a game-changer was exactly what Caruso did for the Thunder in their 123-114 victory over the wide-open Utah Jazz.

Caruso’s influence doesn’t affect the box score, but he has always been one of the most influential players in the league. He’s always had a knack for being in the right place at the right time while being one of the best defenders in the league, and on Wednesday, the Thunder needed him to lock down the Jazz on offense amid solid games from Colin Sexton and Keyonta George.

While Caruso’s reputation as a lockdown defender means no one is surprised anymore when he makes the tackle, all Thunder head coaches Mark Daigneault he could express how much the 30-year-old guard was contributes to winning basketball thanks to his excellent work at the less glamorous end of the court.

“He’s just a threat … He had one stretch where they didn’t go half court just because of him … He’s surgical about it and he’s smart when he takes chances,” Daigneault said of Caruso, per Clemente Almansa of OKC Thunder Wire .

With Thunder intent on competing for championshipsthe importance of having a guy like Caruso who embodies winning basketball like few others in the league cannot be overstated. Considering how many elite perimeter players the Thunder will have to slow down en route to winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy, Caruso’s “threatening” ways will need to stay strong until June.

Can anyone overcome the Thunder’s elite defense?

The Thunder have arguably the most complete team in the league; they have the best two-way balance in the league, as they not only have one of the best number one options in the league in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but they also have a lot of positive defenders at multiple positions.

Alex Caruso will be part of the Thunder’s core moving forward, and for good reason. Caruso signed a four-year, $81.1 million extension to stay with OKC after this season, and at this point, it will be a huge shock if they don’t make a run for the championship during that stretch.