Los Angeles Lakers: Are we all setting Alex Caruso up for disappointment?

Inside the Los Angeles Lakers training camp, Alex Caruso is reportedly playing well. But will it matter?

It’s now water under the bridge that Frank Vogel was not the Lakers’ first (or second) choice to lead the roster on the floor for the next three years. But he’s here now trying to create a defensive identity for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now how he deals with the playing time for a glut of guards on this roster will be an early sign to see if he knows what he is doing.

"“All these guys are able to come in and perform in big roles right now,” he said. “There’s not a lot of guys, young guys, 20-year olds, or 18-year olds, where we’re gonna have to say, ‘We’re gonna have to wait on this guy,’ or anything. These guys can all produce right now, so it’s gonna make my job difficult when it comes to divvying out minutes.”"

That sounds like a coach on the hot seat (Any coach on a LeBron James team is!) who will be depending on his veterans to make a deep playoff run. Despite the uphill climb Caruso will have to do, Allen Sliwa shows that he does show the intangibles and the hustle that endeared the Lakers faithful last year.

First Caruso plays the passing lane with a rotation to get the steal. He then unselfishly passes to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the slam.

The next possession, he alertly dashes down the court when Caldwell-Pope gets a steal, receives the pass and dished to JaVale McGee for the layup. This is the type of hustle plays that got lost (Understandably!) with the high-flying dunks.

But is it enough to leap over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Avery Bradley, Danny Green, and Rajon Rondo?

Let’s discuss Rajon Rondo, shall we?