1. He was overhyped to begin with
Sometimes, when we see a glimmer of someone’s potential, we ultimately expect too much out of them. This has certainly been the case with Alex Caruso.
Think about the cult following he has – the nicknames, the memes, the MVP chants at Staples Center (seriously, what the heck is up with that?). If one didn’t know any better, they’d think that Caruso is an up-and-coming NBA star, if not a superstar.
Well, obviously he’s not. He’s a marginal role player who had an auspicious run in March and April of 2019 where he played well, but not even close to an All-Star level.
Since the Lakers are a worldwide brand and the most celebrated basketball team in the world, they have their share of overzealous fans. You know the type – the ones who insist that Kobe Bryant is the Greatest Of All Time, or those who even vandalized the mural of LeBron James that went up shortly after he became a Laker in 2018.
Such fans tend to overrate Lakers players overall, and get attached to certain guys on the team.
I personally remember a few of these so-called fans (more like fanatics) who insisted that Kwame Brown would magically transform into an All-Star upon being traded to L.A. in 2005. How did that turn out?
Let me be clear – I’m rooting for Alex Caruso to continue to improve and fulfill his total potential as an NBA player. Nothing in this article is to suggest that he’s a bust, or that what we’re seeing from him now is all we’ll ever get from him.
But, at the same time, let’s not act like he’s anything more than what he is.