Los Angeles Lakers: Alex Caruso oddly deep on the depth chart

Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso was shockingly low on the depth chart during the team’s preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors.

The Los Angeles Lakers had an impressive 2019 preseason debut against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers came out ready to play and controlled the game right from the opening tip, defeating the defending Western Conference champs, 123-101.

Everyone will be talking about the dominant debut that Anthony Davis had in the purple and gold. Despite playing only the first half, Davis registered 22 points and nine rebounds as he was a force to be reckoned with in the paint.

Since it was the first preseason game, Frank Vogel decided to hold some of his veterans out of the second half, which makes sense. In addition to Davis, LeBron James, Avery Bradley, Danny Green and Rajon Rondo didn’t play after halftime.

While it wasn’t shocking to see those veterans sit, there was one odd omission from the first half rotation. Guard Alex Caruso never got off the bench in the first half, which was surprising.

Caruso has quickly become a fan favorite with a cult following this offseason. He has been garnering some attention during training camp. However, he did not step foot on the court until the start of the third quarter.

Despite not getting into the game until halftime, Caruso still had a solid night. In 20 minutes, he compiled 10 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals. He knocked down one of his two 3-point attempts and all five free throws he attempted, attacking the rim on multiple occasions for and-ones.

Caruso’s stats weren’t just fluff, as the team expanded the lead with him on the court. His plus/minus ratio of +17 was second-highest on the team, trailing only Troy Daniels, who was +18.

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While this was the first preseason game, so things are bound to change, it was surprising to see Caruso not receive any minutes with the starters or regulars in the first half. Based on how things went in the first game, Caruso is much further down on the depth chart than we were led to believe.

Caruso has the ability to play both backcourt spots. He is capable of being the lead playmaker as the point guard or playing off-ball. At 6’5″, he can adapt to either spot. He has showcased that versatility during training camp, but at best, he is sixth on the depth chart in the backcourt.

Bradley and Green were the starting backcourt, so they seem to be leading the way currently. Rondo, Daniels and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all entered the game in the first half as well.

It is still early, so things can change. Frank Vogel has said that lineups will change throughout training camp to get everyone acclimated to each other. However, it seems that Caruso has a bigger mountain to climb to get into the rotation.

If Caruso continues playing as well as he did against the Warriors, he will definitely climb up the depth chart.