Nearly a decade after their last time together, Mark Daigneault and Alex Caruso were reunited with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder acquired the 30-year-old defensive genius from the Chicago Bulls for Josh Giddey. Caruso returns to OKC after his first big stop was with the G League’s OKC Blue — who were coached by Daigneault at the time.
The reigning Coach of the Year had the chance to react to Caruso’s return. While he acknowledged how full circle the addition is, Daigneault believes his on-court production will match the story.
“He’s gonna have a good impact on the team,” Daigneault said. “He’s a team guy, he’s a competitor. Obviously, we were there together. He was with the organization a while ago.
“But it’s not a nostalgic move. It’s a move about the present team and the future. He’s really excited to be here. He wants to be here. He’s excited to get going with the guys. I think he’s going to really energized with the locker room we have, the group we have and hopefully he add to it as well.”
Mark Daigneault on Alex Caruso pic.twitter.com/rFaXcOwspP
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) June 29, 2024
Lost time between Caruso and Daigneault hasn’t weakened their relationship. The former noted he can’t wait to get yelled at in practice the first time he makes a mistake. The latter jokingly said that sounds about right.
“I’m just getting out in front of potential issues with that,” Daigneault joked. “He’s not bringing an apple to the teacher every day. I don’t know how well he’s branded himself.”
As free agency begins, don’t let the novelty wearing off on Caruso undersell the impact he’ll bring to OKC. He’s a perfect 3-and-D fit who will reinforce both sides of the ball for the Thunder.
