Amid the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green delivered an intriguing take on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso that could surprise Chet Holmgren fans. After winning Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers, Holmgren revealed Caruso as his reliable GOAT. Then, Green pinned them against one another.
In terms of who’s most important to the team, Green gives the edge to Caruso, the two-way veteran who’s one of the Thunder’s brightest sparks off the bench, per The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.
“When I look at this OKC team, I actually think the third most important player is Alex Caruso,” Green said. “I find it very interesting because A, he comes off the bench. He’s coming off the bench. He’s the third most important player.”
For Green, Caruso’s performances are also supplemented by the opposing team’s inability to deter the kinds of performances the backup guard has tallied. Even the ones that don’t shine in the box score impact winning.
“I think Caruso is so important to what they do, and I feel like you never game plan for him,” Green added. “And so because you don’t game plan for him, he’s coming in these Finals, and he goes crazy, but the reality is he’s a champion. So he actually knows what to expect.”
Why Draymond Green picks Alex Caruso over Chet Holmgren
After Sunday’s 123-107 blowout win against the Pacers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Thunder starting forward Chet Holmgren was highlighted by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as an exceptional talent who helped his team even the series. He’s considered one of the Thunder’s ‘Big 3’ alongside their All-Star tandem, Jalen Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander. Still, Warriors forward Draymond Green says Alex Caruso is detrimental to his team becoming a champion.
Green further explained his take on Caruso over Holmgren.
“In theory, you want to say that it’s Chet. It looks like it’s supposed to be Chet, but like when I take a step back and look at this team, Chet was out this year, a large bulk of the year, and they were just fine,” Green said. “Even Hartenstein was out for quite a bit, and that team rolled.”
Holmgren returned for 22 regular-season games in 2024-25 as the Thunder finished with a franchise-best 68-14 record before going 12-4 in the postseason en route to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2012. With the series tied 1-1, the Pacers will host the Thunder for Game 3 on Wednesday.
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