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As we careen toward the meat of the NBA Finals, if you had to pick a Los Angeles Laker to be portrayed in an oversize arts-district mural, going up for a dunk over NBA royalty like Luka Doncic, James Harden, Devin Booker, Kawhi Leonard, and Jamal Murray, who would you pick?
If the answer is anything but reserve guard Alex Caruso, then, we are sorry, but it is obviously a wrong answer.
Yes, a mural of Caruso, courtesy of sneaker and apparel retailer Sportie L.A., apparently was erected in Los Angeles last year, though it is now attracting attention. In it, he is going up for a right-handed dunk as some of the best players in the league helplessly wave their arms below him.
The mural, in all its glory:
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Sportie L.A. Has Had Murals of George Floyd, Kobe Bryant
Sportie L.A. has become known for its murals, especially in recent months. When Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were killed in a helicopter crash in California in January, the company had a mural erected taken from a photo of Kobe and Gianna Bryant embracing.
More recently, when George Floyd was killed at the hands of police in Minneapolis, touching off months of protests around the nation, a mural went up of Floyd at the store’s Melrose location with the words, “Rest In Peace.”
The Floyd mural:
The Caruso mural apparently went up last summer, making the work especially prophetic. Caruso was a second-year guard last year and did not play much until the final 17 games of the season, once LeBron James was injured and the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs.
Caruso was in the lineup primarily because the team was just playing out the final string of games and his spot as a contributor for this year’s Lakers bunch was shaky, at best.
Alex Caruso Has Excelled as a Defender
Still, he made enough of an impression to be depicted dunking on Harden, Doncic and friends. What’s more, Caruso made the transition from being a late-season stats-stuffer at the end of last season to a useful member of the rotation this season. He played 64 games for the Lakers this year, and though he averaged only 5.5 points, he became a fan favorite for his hustle and defense and logged 18.4 minutes per game for the best team in the Western Conference.
Back in December, coach Frank Vogel said of Caruso’s defensive skill, “I think he’s elite. When you study him on tape, or just watch him in summer workouts, you see he has pretty good feet and good length. But there are a lot of 6-foot-5 defenders that you think should be great defenders (but are not). But Alex is.”
Caruso has earned a bigger role in the postseason, especially with Avery Bradley having opted out of the return to action. He is scoring 6.8 points per game and playing 23.9 minutes, appearing in all 17 Lakers playoff games. He’s shot only 26.9% from the 3-point line, but his defense has been a difference-maker.
Vogel said Caruso’s value goes beyond shooting ability.
“He has great instincts, and that’s the biggest thing with him,” Caruso said. “It’s not always just about physical ability. It’s about IQ. It’s about activity. Hands. Containment ability. Willingness to take charges. The ability to mix it up and get on the boards and rebound the basketball. He does all those things at a very high level.”
He’s also finishing on a high note, shooting 61.1% from the field in the Lakers’ last three games.
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