Although the Los Angeles Lakers duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis have fit the billing as the most dominant pairing in the 2019-20 NBA season, it is Alex Caruso that has seemingly taken the league by storm.
Caruso has long been a fan favorite in Los Angeles, but he has managed to take center stage on a national scale after making the 2020 NBA All-Star Game ballot. While this is may be a byproduct of playing for a team like the Lakers, he has helped his case by providing his fair share of highlight plays on a nightly basis.
There is plenty of pressure that comes with being part of a supporting cast for a team with championship expectations. Fortunately, Caruso’s efforts have not gone unnoticed after recently receiving some heavy praise from James himself.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, Caruso credits his success to being able to embrace his role:
“I think I’m just comfortable in my own skin, man,” Caruso said. “I know who I am. I know what I do. And at the end of the day, it’s basketball.
Caruso added that he tries not to get too caught up on all the hype that comes with playing alongside James:
“People like to put a lot of hype around it, but for me, at the end of the day, I think it’s just my job to go out there and play. Whenever I don’t think and I just play, I play my best. It’s gotten me this far, and I think it’s going to carry me further.”
It is certainly encouraging to see that not only has Caruso embraced the high expectations that comes with playing for a high-profile team, he has managed to thrive in it with his solid play on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, his popularity continues to skyrocket after the recent fan voting put him at the No. 4 spot for the Western Conference backcourt in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.
The praise Caruso receives will continue to be alleviated by bitter fans from other teams that feel their player is not receiving enough recognition. Regardless, it is evident that he is focused on doing what he can to improve his game and help the Lakers get on the same page.
Caruso’s All-Star bid will be put on pause after suffering a head injury during the loss to the Orlando Magic and he is currently listed as day-to-day.