Getty Lakers star LeBron James.
Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis have drawn praise as the NBA’s most dominant duo, leading the franchise to a historic 21-3 start.
But the team might actually have a three-headed monster on their hands with the addition of guard Alex Caruso to the mix. James shot off an Instagram post on Monday showing support for the “GOAT” Caruso.
LeBron doesn’t care about your ratings
Caruso has earned the respect of his teammates with his cerebral play and hustle on the court. The “Bald Mamba” has also found his way into the hearts of fans with his surprising athleticism and massive dunks.
Alex Caruso Playing With New-Found Confidence
Caruso is coming off his best game of the season against the Timberwolves last time out. He logged a season-high 30 minutes, collecting 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. He hit 2-of-3 of his shots from deep and head coach Frank Vogel has noticed the third-year guard playing with more confidence on the offensive end.
“He’s just playing with a lot of confidence on that end,” head coach Frank Vogel told Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll. “He’s really improved his paint decisions more than anything. He’s a confident 3-point shooter. We’re encouraging him to shoot when they run under the screens. He’s knocking down some of those. That’s getting him going downhill more.
“When he’s getting into the paint, we’re in a no-force, no-stress type of mindset offensively where he’s gonna drive hard to the basket and if he doesn’t have anything he’s gonna make an extra pass and keep it safe. As a result of that, when he shoots, he’s shooting a far higher percentage at the rim.”
Alex Caruso Says LeBron James Recognizes his Competitiveness
Getting support from the biggest star of the game has done wonders for Caruso’s confidence. He told Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that it’s his competitiveness that has helped him mesh with LeBron James.
“I think he just appreciates the way I go about business,” Caruso said. “I play really hard. He knows that I’m a cerebral player, that I understand the game, I understand spacing and how to set screens to get guys open. A lot of that stuff is beneficial for him, because I’m usually the guy being guarded by the smallest player. So at the end of games, I’m (often) in the actions to get him open. But ultimately, I think he just appreciates the competitiveness; he wants to win, he’s a really, really competitive guy, and at the end of the day, that’s probably my best attribute. I play hard, and I compete, and that’s a reciprocated respect kind of thing.”
Caruso and the Lakers have a little time off before heading to Florida to take on the Magic to kick off a five-game swing against Eastern Conference foes.
It’d be easy for the squad to let down their guard thanks to the fast start, but that is not the case around the Lakers locker room.
“We’re off to a good start, but it’s still just a good start. We have a long way to go, we have to continue to win games and build and grow with each other and hopefully we can keep it going.”
Frank Vogel on the #Lakers 21-3 start.
“We’re off to a good start, but it’s still just a good start,” Vogel told reporters. “We have a long way to go, we have to continue to win games and build and grow with each other and hopefully we can keep it going.”
READ NEXT: Browns RB Nick Chubb Sends Message With Epic Quote