Victor Wembanyama keeps finding the Thunder in his way.
The Spurs star has made no secret of wanting to climb past Oklahoma City’s best, whether that means chasing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the 2026 MVP race or proving himself in a playoff series against the Thunder. But when it comes to one of the league’s most telling impact numbers, he still hasn’t cleared even one of OKC’s role players.
According to ESPN’s Zach Kram, Wembanyama did not top veteran Thunder guard Alex Caruso in on-off net rating. Wembanyama’s Spurs posted a plus-17.0 net rating with him on the floor this past season, which ranked second among all rotation players in the league.
That’s an elite number by any measure. But in this case, second place means Caruso finished ahead of him.
For Thunder fans, Caruso’s value has long been obvious. His defense travels against guards and bigs alike, and he has a reputation for elevating his game when the stakes rise. Kram’s numbers back that up in a big way.
Caruso led the entire league in on-court net rating last season, a stat that measures a team’s point differential per 100 possessions while a player is on the floor.
It also fits the bigger picture in Oklahoma City. The Thunder finished with the best record and the top point differential in the NBA in 2025-26, and five of the top six players in on-court net rating came from OKC.
So while Wembanyama is still chasing the league’s biggest names, this particular race is being led by Caruso, not Gilgeous-Alexander or Chet Holmgren.
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Kevin Durant Just Got Pulled Back Into A Bitter Thunder Feud
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For Thunder fans, the exchange carried an extra edge because it revived old feelings around Durants exit and the way his legacy still gets pulled into arguments long after he moved on. Kanter Freedom did more than disagree with the opinion, adding personal heat to the back-and-forth and turning a policy dispute into another reminder of how easily Durant can still end up at the center of an Oklahoma City grievance. [Read more 🡒]