2. He hasn’t been aggressive enough
Alex Caruso hasn’t been as aggressive offensively as he was last season when he went on that late run. You’d think that a run like that would embolden a young player like him, but it seems like that hasn’t really happened.
Last season, Caruso took 11.7 shots and attempted 4.3 free throws per 36 minutes. This season, those numbers are down to 8.4 shot attempts and 2.4 free-throw attempts.
Yes, LeBron James didn’t play in nine of the 18 games in which Caruso went on his late-season run last year. But keep in mind that Caruso is often on the court this season when James isn’t, giving the former plenty of opportunities to assert himself without having to defer to the self-proclaimed King.
The only way for a young player like Caruso to continue to develop and improve is to force the issue as much as reasonably possible. A conservative approach where a player like that plays “team basketball” to a fault just won’t get it done.
Caruso has had scattered moments this season where he’s asserted himself well. But they’ve been too few and far between for him to meet the hype that surrounds him.