The last team to repeat as NBA champions was the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Those were Kevin Durant's first two years with the franchise. Paired with Stephen Curry, they were unstoppable and could be written in Sharpie in September that they were going to cruise their way to multiple titles.

Caruso played a season-high 33 minutes off the bench and finished with 10 points, two steals and two rebounds. His defensive intensity and timely buckets were crucial in OKC's 128-126 road win, which gave the team a 3-1 series lead.

But in addition to adding a fantastic fit at center, the Thunder also made the most underrated move of the summer in trading for Alex Caruso. It wasn’t necessarily a need for the Thunder, but proved to be the most important move made.