Alex Caruso
During the 2018-2019 season, Danny Green was the best 3-and-D wing in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors. So most Lakers fans expected Green to play at that same level this year for the Purple and Gold. Unfortunately, the Danny Green from last year, who shot over 45% percent from deep while playing incredible lockdown defense hasn’t shown up in Hollywood. Instead, Green is shooting a subpar 36 percent from beyond the arc, and he ranks 35th out of 121 shooting guards in ESPN’s defensive real plus-minus.
If it weren’t for Alex Caruso’s exceptional play and the Lakers hot start, folks in LA might be questioning Green’s $30 million, two-year contract right now. But, no one seems to mind because of the way “Bald Mamba’s” picked up the slack for Danny.
Alex Caruso ranks 9th out of 443 qualified players throughout the NBA in DRPM, and he sits first overall in defensive rating (minimum 15 minutes per contest and ten games played).
Caruso has gone from a sweet story over the summer to the best wing defender in the NBA. Alex is not a 15-game gimmick like Jeremy Lin was for the Knicks half a decade ago. Caruso is legit, and the comically discounted contract he signed over the summer is a massive stroke of luck for the Purple and Gold.
On offense, Alex’s 3-point percentage has slowly crept up to a league-average clip of 35%, but over the last ten games, Caruso leads the Lakers in shooting from distance at a clean 50 percent.
Caruso’s offensive repertoire is limited, and he’s never going to be a genuine NBA point guard. Still, if Alex can continue to hit at a high rate from deep, he has to be called the best 3-and-D player in the NBA. In a league that covets perimeter defense and outside shooting, Alex Caruso is an incredibly valuable player for the Lakers.