Los Angeles Lakers: 4 lessons from Easter Sunday Clippers beatdown

The Los Angeles Lakers got virtually nothing from KCP and Alex Caruso in the scoring column.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope:

(Checking the notes…frantically!) Isn’t the job of the shooting guard to shoot the basketball?

Maybe KCP is like Kyle Kuzma and just shoots well against Luke Walton-coached teams.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope buried his jumps shot back in the sand scoring 8 points on 3-9 shooting. Before the apologists start defending the box score, KCP scored the last two 3 pointers when the game was well in doubt. Was it the defensive matchups that were wearing him down (Okay granted, it’s not easy to stop 6’8 guys from scoring when you are 6’3)? Is it his confidence that is basically gone at this point? Who knows. At this point, it does not matter.

If KCP is not willing to take shots to space the offense and can’t stop the opposition on defense, maybe it’s time to go to the bench and find favorable matchups against the other team’s second unit.

Alex Caruso:

Remember when Alex Caruso was supposed to be the Lakers’ “Secret weapon” and one of the best players on the roster…like a couple of months ago?

"“He’s certainly one of our best players,” “That’s the simplest way to put it. He typically moves the needle in a positive direction and you see that with the plus-minus…  Alex is just one of those guys that impacts both ends of the floor. “(He) really, really impacts our defense, and his versatility offensively, the ability to knock down threes and also make plays off the bounce, be a good screener, be a crasher, be a roller in LeBron’s pick and rolls, they’re all ways that he impacts the offensive end as well."

Well (Checking the calendar), it’s April and since his time out with COVID-19 and concussion protocols, things are starting to regress for the CaruShow. He finished with 8 points on 2-6 shooting with 2 assists. The problem is the points come when the game is over.

The Lakers have to start wondering if it’s worth paying $8-10 million for a player that puts up these stats in the future.

• This season: 5.6 points and 2.4 assists. Shoots 39.1 percent from the 3-point line and 41.1 percent from the field.
• Career: 5.6 points and 2.4 assists. Shoots 37 percent from the 3 point-line and 42.2 percent from the field. 

This is not a bashing session for Alex Caruso because he does compete when he is on the floor (Something not every guard did in this game!), but his game is severely compromised with no Anthony Davis and LeBron James. He is one of the players that depend so much on the stars that his game is getting exposed as time goes on.

Lake Show Life has shown hints throughout this article about the player that will wear the bullseye for how badly the Los Angeles Lakers played. Plus there’s a warning for Lakers fans and the franchise. Read on to see what they are.