3. Alex Caruso is a better playmaker than his stats suggest
Alex Caruso is not exactly known for his passing proficiency. He averages 1.8 assists per game for the 2019-20 season. Not great numbers no matter what position you play, but compared to his fellow point guards, his role-adjusted assists per 75 possessions are in the 9th percentile.
However, Caruso has shown glimpses of being a much better playmaker than the stats would have you believe.
In the scrimmage versus the Washington Wizards, we saw a glimpse of Caruso’s potential as a playmaker. He repeatedly shows a willingness to distribute the ball, hits bigs who are cutting through the lane in stride, and even threw a highlight bounce pass to Dion Waiters at one point.
With LeBron James running the first unit all season and Rajon Rondo running the second, the Carushow has been asked to do very little playmaking this season. However, in both the scrimmage and at times during the regular season, he’s shown that he’s a solid playmaker when called upon.
Furthermore, for his G-League career, Caruso averaged 6.0 assists per game (with a season-high 7.7 in 2017-18). While I’m not expecting him to even approach those numbers even with a boost in court-time, it’s nevertheless evidence that he has some passing ability.
Some of the advanced stats this season hint at there being more to Caruso’s passing than you’d expect. He’s in the 66th percentile for Assist Points / 75 possessions and in the 69th percentile for High-Value Assists (3 point assists + free throw assists + rim assists) / 75 possessions, meaning that when Caruso passes the ball, it usually leads to a good shot.
His rankings for those stats pale in comparison to LeBron’s and Rondo’s, but they are markedly better than the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers back-court, including the man whose minutes he’s slated to fill, Avery Bradley.
Alex Caruso is a valuable glue-guy that many teams would love to have as part of their rotation. He’s not only the best wing-defender on the Los Angeles Lakers, but he’s a surprisingly good shooter. If he can build on the flashes he’s shown as a playmaker, by the end of the season, the whole world will know that The Bald Mamba is far more than just a meme.