Los Angeles Lakers: Frank Vogel praises Quinn Cook, Alex Caruso
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel spoke highly of the team’s young point guards, Quinn Cook and Alex Caruso.
The point guard position for the Los Angeles Lakers is one that people will have their eye on in the coming weeks. With training camp about to start, we will figure out what Frank Vogel thinks of the group.
When you have LeBron James, the point guard position takes on a different look. That person won’t necessarily have the ball in their hands as much as normal because James will more often than not initiate the offense. Instead, you have to fit a specific role.
Surrounding James with shooters and defenders has led to the most success during his career. Vogel has some players that fit that bill that could play the point guard spot in Quinn Cook and Alex Caruso.
In a recent interview with Lakers.com, Vogel spoke highly of his two young point guards.
"Our young guys – Caruso and Quinn Cook – have shown me a lot. I feel good about throwing those guys in at any point. They could be competing for some big roles for our team."
In addition to Cook and Caruso, the team also has Rajon Rondo. In Rondo, who is entering his 14th year in the league, the team knows what they are getting. That is why it makes sense to see what they have in their other options.
Cook, who signed a two-year, $6 million deal in free agency, brings plenty of experience with him despite only three years of NBA experience.
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Spending the last two seasons with the Golden State Warriors has provided Cook with 34 games of playoff experience. Despite being one of the younger players on the roster, only James, Rondo, Avery Bradley, JaVale McGee and Danny Green have appeared in more postseason games.
Cook’s best asset he will bring to the table is his 3-point shooting. He is a 41.8 percent 3-point shooter in his career, making him a great running mate alongside James and Anthony Davis.
Unfortunately, that number drops to 27.7 percent in the playoffs, and he doesn’t bring much to the table defensively. His defensive box plus/minus is negative for his career and his defensive rating, 113 in his career, is worse than his offensive rating.
That is where Caruso could have the edge. He has experience playing alongside James, and albeit a small sample size, it was a positive one.
"Caruso+LeBron: 111.7 ORTG. 102.6 DRTG. +9.1 NET in 147 minutes (10 games)"
Caruso has shown the ability to knock down 3-pointers as well, making 39.8 percent in his career. In his G League career, he is a 36 percent shooter, so he is capable of stretching the floor.
Defensively is where Caruso could set himself apart. He has a positive defensive box plus/minus in his career and a defensive rating of 110.
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This point guard battle will be one to watch throughout the training camp. It is likely all three will receive minutes. No matter who is out there, it sounds like the team is confident in them to get the job done.