High IQ, Defensive Grit: Alex Caruso & Marc Gasol
Alex Caruso has earned his spot. Digging down and climbing his way up as an undrafted rookie, to the G-League, to two-way contracts, to being a solid rotation player on a championship team. Heck, the dude even started the championship-clinching game last year!
He didn’t get there by averaging a million points and assists or hitting every shot he took, no, he got there by making the right play every time and playing his heart out every possession. His play is a prime example of the grittiness Vogel has preached since day one as the Lakers coach.
It’s fascinating to watch Caruso play because he doesn’t really look like he’s doing anything special, and he’s not per se, but he is always involved, active and engaged.
That focused, no-nonsense, unglamorous play is contagious, and every championship team needs it. He embodies it, and this season he’ll get to play alongside one of this generation’s OG’s of that style, Marc Gasol.
Gasol made his career playing on the Grit-and-Grind Grizzlies in the early 2010s. He made the All-Defensive Team and even nabbed a Defensive Player of the Year trophy for his efforts in 2013. Just ask LeBron!
These two will be doing all the dirty work this year; being in the right place at all times, playing hard-nosed individual defense, Caruso will probably dive on the floor at least once a game. It will be beautiful to watch their intensity and energy rub off on everyone else.
I suppose I’ll throw Markieff Morris in here as well, but he is definitely not the same level of IQ as Gasol and Caruso. I like to call Morris’ play “Lunch Pale” because of its blue-collar, hardworking, a little mean, bruising style. Expect these three to lead the charge doing the dirty work.