He’s a huge favorite among Los Angeles Lakers fans, but the play of Alex Caruso has not even come close to meeting the hype around him
Late last season, as a rash of injuries swallowed up the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff chances, an NBA hopeful named Alex Caruso was called up to the big leagues. He had been on a two-way contract at the time, and the Lakers brought him aboard mostly out of necessity.
In the final 18 games of the 2018-19 campaign, Caruso played very well (at least by his standards), averaging 12.4 points and 4.2 assists a game in 28.0 minutes. He shot a white-hot 46.9 percent from the field and delighted Lakers nation with a couple of highlight dunks.
Although his play didn’t really translate to wins (it obviously wasn’t his fault), it earned him a place in the hearts of fans of the Purple and Gold – to a fault.
Namely, it gave birth to a cult following around Alex Caruso, plus a host of nicknames, including “The CaruShow” and “Bald Mamba.”
It also earned him a two-year, $5.5 million contract this past summer with the hope that there was plenty more of what he showed late last season to come.
Well, at least so far, it hasn’t really come, with the exception of the occasional highlight dunk.
Now that the Lakers are championship contenders again, every player in the regular rotation needs to deliver on a consistent basis. Overall, Caruso hasn’t done that.
Let’s be real – he’s a third-string point guard in the NBA. This season, he’s playing 19.6 minutes a game, partly because of the disappointing play of Avery Bradley and, at times, Rajon Rondo.
Although he hustles and makes a concerted effort on the defensive end, Caruso has been really underwhelming, as he’s averaging just 5.6 points and 1.7 assists a game this season.
There are three main areas in which he’s disappointed.