Getty Alex Caruso of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates.
Two-Way sensation and fan favorite Alex Caruso earned himself a two year deal with the Lakers after toiling in the G-League and working his way up the organization’s depth chart. Now with a chance to earn serious minutes at the NBA level, the Lakers have high hopes for the point guard they’ve spent the past two years developing.
Caruso is a versatile point guard with the tools to emerge into a consistent impact player. With plus athleticism, good scoring instincts, and the ability to pester opposing ball-handlers on the perimeter, Caruso’s skill set should earn him a much bigger role with the NBA squad this year. While not elite in any one area, Caruso offers a well-rounded backup option with room for growth.
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Lakers’ Alex Caruso Could Be Ready For A Breakout Season
Previously, Caruso’s two-way deal limited his impact at the NBA level and he didn’t see much-extended run until injuries ravaged the roster at the end of the year. However, Caruso shined down the stretch with a number of huge scoring outbursts as he helped lead a banged up Lakers squad to some surprising and unexpected wins. While still not expected to start, don’t be suprised to see Caruso as the second point guard off the bench and should Rajon Rondo struggle to start the year, Caruso could potentially find himself in the starting lineup.
Finally able to get, and stay on, the court for extended periods of time, Caruso should be able to showcase what made him such an exciting talent last season and could be in line for a breakout year if he keeps his hot hand going into the start of next season. With a full year to showcase his talent and plenty of opportunities to see the court, expect Caruso to work his way into a consistent role as a contributor off the bench with the potential upside to steal the starting job and excel with it.
The biggest way for Caruso to land himself more minutes is to show that his deep ball wasn’t a fluke. Caruso excelled from deep in his limited sample size last season (48%) and if he can show the Lakers that he can be a consistent and reliable option from deep, he should see his minutes skyrocket. His athleticism and defensive ability make him a strong fit for the roster but his ability to knock down the deep ball should be what takes him from a serviceable role player to a candidate for a huge breakout year.
Other Lakers’ Options At Point Guard
Aside from Caruso, the Lakers are likely to start veteran point guard Rajon Rondo to kick off the year. Rondo has experience playing both alongside James, Davis, and Cousins and the continuity should help a lot as the trio of stars get used to playing alongside one another. While Rondo doesn’t have the same effectiveness he did in his younger days, he is essentially another coach and should not only set a strong example for Caruso but the rest of the roster as a whole.
The Lakers also have sharpshooter Quinn Cook able to play the point – though Cook will most likely be used as a shooter in specific lineups as opposed to someone that sees major minutes off the bench for the Lakers. Expect Caruso to start above Cook on the depth chart despite Cook’s excellent shot and championship pedigree.