Getty Alex Caruso of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Suffering a hard fall early in the first quarter, Alex Caruso checked out of the Lakers’ final preseason game against the Warriors. Freshly signed to a two-year contract and with a string of strong performances under his belt in the preseason, expectations for Caruso were sky-high heading into his first season on a fully guaranteed NBA deal.
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Alex Caruso Injury Update: Lakers’ Guard Leaves Game After Hard Fall
Alex Caruso is heading to the locker room. #Lakers
UPDATE:
Alex Caruso has a bone contusion, pelvis; X-rays were negative. He will not return tonight, and will undergo additional testing when the team returns to L.A.
Caruso had some hard contact near the rim on a number of occasions early on before going down for good with what looks to be an injury to his back. Clutching his lower back/tailbone region as he struggled to get up after the fall, Caruso was sent back to the training room to get looked at further.
One of the feel-good stories for the Lakers, tonight was expected to feature a heavy dosage of Caruso. With point guards Quinn Cook, Avery Bradley, and Rajon Rondo all sitting, Caruso came out leading the Lakers’ starting unit and repeatedly attacked the rim and found his way to the basket. While the injury occurred after one such instance, the confidence to attack a veteran Warriors’ backcourt was a good sight before he left the floor.
X-rays came back negative on Caruso’s back but he was ruled out for the remainder of the game as the Lakers plan to put him through further testing to ensure there isn’t any structural damage.
* Article will be updated as more details are released
Alex Caruso’s Possible Role on the Lakers
Alex Caruso is the two-way player you wish you could be. (via @Lakers)
On the back of a strong preseason leading up to his injury, Caruso has firmly carved himself out a spot in the Laker rotation whenever he’s back healthy and good to go. A strong defensive presence while offering excellent versatility as a lead guard or off-ball threat, Caruso has seen serious minutes in every one of the Lakers’ preseason games.
The former two-way player isn’t expected to step into the starting lineup, though he should be used generously off the bench. Given the Lakers’ situation at point guard though, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that (health permitting) he winds up playing himself into consideration for the role. Caruso is a strong natural fit alongside LeBron and while he lacks the offensive upside of Quinn Cook and the defensive upside of Avery Bradley, Caruso’s well-rounded game and high IQ make him a realistic option.
Averaging 17.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 4.8 rebounds across the final month of the season after being given the reigns to an injury-riddled team, Caruso produced a number of highlight-reel plays that endeared him to Laker fans.
A testament to how valuable allocating time to develop players in the G-League, Caruso has transformed himself from a feel-good novelty player to someone more than capable of contributing on a roster with Championship expectations. First making waves on the Summer League circuit back in 2017, Caruso has steadily developed in the Lakers’ system before experiencing his breakout run at the end of the 2018-2019 season.
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