One is Optimus Prime, and the other is the outside defense gate. The 168 million yuan spent is worth it!

Although the Thunder were on the verge of danger in the series against the Nuggets, the young people did not make the mistakes of last year again and finally withstood the pressure. In the tiebreak battle, this year's MVP biggest candidate Gilgers Alexander scored 35 points, and Jaylen Williams also scored 24 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. In addition to Chet Holmgren's 13 points and 11 rebounds, the second-generation Thunder Third Young Master made an extremely impressive performance, and finally defeated the Nuggets with a huge advantage of 32 points and successfully returned to the stage of the Western Conference Finals. There is no doubt that the performance of these three young men is crucial in this round of the series, but don’t forget the contributions of others, especially Alex Caruso and Isaiah Haltenstein. It has to be said that introducing these two players this season is definitely the Thunder's most conscientious signing. It is precisely because of the arrival of these two people that they have given the team great help that they can return to the Western Conference Finals after 9 years.

1. Isaiah Haltenstein

Playoff data: 10.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, contract value: 3 years, $87 million,

First, let's talk about Harten. He played for the Knicks last season, but he actually performed well. He averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He can be said to be the best blue-collar worker. The Knicks also really hoped to keep him, but after getting Carl Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and others in the trade, the team's salary space was basically trapped. In addition, Mitchell Robinson was seriously injured and unable to play, so it was difficult for a team to take over Miro's remaining contract, so they had to give up renewing their contract with Harten. The Thunder also seized this opportunity and immediately gave Harten a three-year, $87 million contract. Harten did not disappoint the team. With Homegren absent due to injury for a long time, he took the pressure on the team's inside line. In the regular season, he played in 57 games, averaged 11.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, and his shooting percentage reached 58.1%. It is no exaggeration to say that except for not being good at shooting, you can leave any other aspects to Harten with confidence. The offensive efficiency of 118.3, the defensive efficiency of 105.3, and the net efficiency of 13.0, which ranks 10th in the league, is the value brought by Harten.

During the playoffs, Harten's role was more obvious. The young people of the Thunder themselves had no playoff experience. Harten had two years of experience in the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the Knicks, so he knew the intensity and confrontation requirements of the playoffs. Therefore, compared with young people such as Isaiah Joe, Carson Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins who performed well in the regular season but had a sprint in the playoffs, Harten continued his outstanding form in the regular season in the playoffs. Especially in the series against the Nuggets in the second round, Harten tried his best to limit Nikola Jokic, with five of the games scoring double-digit points, and the protection of rebounding was visible to the naked eye. Average of 11 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, this is the data order handed over by Harten. It was him and Chet who worked together to support the team's inside line, which avoided the scene of being completely defeated by Jokic. And it should be clear that as of now, his defensive efficiency has been even better than in the regular season, reaching 103.5, the ninth place in the league. It is no exaggeration to say that he is Optimus Prime in the inside. Considering his three-year, $87 million contract, it can be said that Harten is fully able to compete for the most cost-effective inside signing this year.

2. Alex Caruso

Playoffs data: 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals. Contract value: 4 years, $81 million,

After talking about Harten, let's talk about Caruso. I have to say that this former Lakers champion member has been growing up since he left the Lakers. Although he is 31 years old, it still does not prevent him from being the best outside defender in the NBA today. In the past two seasons, he has been selected for the first and second teams of the best defensive team, and also won the Best Fight Award, which shows that this is the best recognition of his defense. After joining the Thunder, Caruso had 7.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals during the regular season. Although it was not that eye-catching, fans who have watched the Thunder game clearly understood the horror of Caruso. Especially his defense, in the regular season, his efficiency directly reached 102.5, the third place in the league, which is the greatest value he brings to the team. Moreover, his net efficiency has reached 15.0, the fifth place in the league, based on his defensive ability alone and not outstanding offensive ability. This is an extremely rare existence in NBA history, not to mention that he has been a substitute player for a long time in the team.

And during the playoffs, Thunder fans once again refreshed their understanding of Caruso, averaging 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game, plus a 41.7% three-point shooting percentage, and a total of 20 three-point shootings. Which team in today's NBA can find such an efficient 3D substitute? What is even more incredible is that he can not only defend against the opponent's arrow characters from the outside, but also defend against the number 4 and even the number 5 in the inside. Moreover, according to data, under Caruso's defense, the shooting percentage of players facing him will drop by 7.3%, thanks to his average 9.5 shots per game. The positive surface coverage of the defense is amazing, creating Caruso's amazing value on the defensive end. In addition, he occasionally showed his strength on the offensive end. In his first game with the Nuggets, he scored luxurious data of 20 points, 6 assists and 5 steals.. In the last four games, he scored in double digits every game, which was one of the most stable scoring points on the team's bench. And don’t forget that he is a champion. The later the playoffs, the more important his role on and off the court. It has to be said that the four-year, $81 million contract given to Caruso by the Thunder is simply jealous of all teams.