6. Alex Caruso
This may come as a shock to you, but Caruso is still only 25 years old, and cliches aside, is actually a sneaky athletic player. Although his per-game stats aren’t eye-popping, with career averages of 5.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, that can be attributed that to his low minutes, at only 17.6 per game.
With a less than ideal point guard rotation, Caruso is in line to see a major minute increase and may very well show that he’s the best option for that position. He checks all of the boxes for a one guard playing alongside LeBron James.
He’s a solid off-ball player, a smart cutter, and can also make plays with the ball in his hands, all of which we’ve seen flashes of last season. Caruso is also an above-average 3-point shooter, averaging 39.8% from beyond the arc for his career. He has also shown to be a competent pick-and-roll ball-handler, which will come in handy for the times that LeBron is on the bench.
Defensively, Caruso has the physical tools to be reliable on that end of the floor, standing at 6’5, which is on the taller side for a point guard. The numbers are also in Caruso’s favor, as last season teams scored 4.7 fewer points per 100 possessions, as well as a -3.2% drop in opponent eFG% whenever he was on the floor.
But for me, the thing I like most about Caruso is that he always plays within himself, and more often than not, will look to make the right play. He also still has room for improvement and will be looking to prove himself with an expanded role this season.