It is becoming more and more clear the Los Angeles Lakers were able to unearth a gem in Alex Caruso as the undrafted point guard out of Texas A&M has made an impact on a team who is on their way to making a 2020 NBA Finals run during the 2019-20 NBA season.
Caruso had a solid finish to the 2018-19 season and was rewarded with a two-year, $5.5 million deal in 2019 NBA free agency. He was considered to be a depth piece at the point guard position but has become almost an integral part of head coach Frank Vogel’s rotation.
Against the New Orleans Pelicans, Caruso was able to jumpstart Los Angeles as they were in the midst of a lull by hustling on defense and dishing out several impressive dimes in transition. His play turned the game around and he was a big reason why the team was able to come away with the win.
In his post-game interview, Caruso discussed how he and Lakers fans are able to work together.
“I’m a big energy guy. Anyone who’s seen us play can attest to and obviously every time we’re at Staples they love me, I love playing here so it’s really easy… just a good give and take. They gave great energy, I give great energy and we just kind of bounce off each other,” Caruso said.
Caruso is the ideal player for this iteration of the Lakers as he is able to make an impact without dominating or scoring the basketball. He is a stellar defender who is able to stay in front of his man as well as make the correct rotation while on offense, he moves the ball around and knows when to cut for layups.
Vogel recently called Caruso his secret weapon and admitted he may be in store for a bigger role down the stretch of the season, but it appears he will still be splitting back up point guard duties with Rajon Rondo for the time being. However, the minutes distribution between the two will be interesting to watch as it is clear that Caruso is able to make things happen when he steps on the floor.
The purple and gold appear to be getting back in the swing of things which bodes well for their 2020 NBA playoff hopes, but it is fair to wonder how they will look when the competition gets stiffer. Hopefully, they are able to figure things out as the regular season begins to wind down.