Is Caruso capable of being a primary backup, or is he 3rd string material?

[LAKESHOW]

In regards to Rondo. He's got AD. Possibly cousins. Possibly shooters. I mean, why would he want to leave that situation?

[stan francisco]

In regards to Rondo. He's got AD. Possibly cousins. Possibly shooters. I mean, why would he want to leave that situation?

Yeah. Unless he gets in a fight or alike, I don’t see him leaving. But what a great mentor he’d be for Lonzo.

[KobeBryant24]

Probably worst defender in the league, hes gotta go

[3nnui]

he cannot compete against first tier competition, he is 3rd string at best, not a rotation player.

[Ugly0598]

He's a G League player that didn't show much value in the NBA unlike some other teams that managed to get more production out of their two way players. Personally I think he's OK as the two way player again, but I wouldn't waste a full NBA roster spot on Caruso.

I would like to see Wear & whoever (Caruso) be the two way players.

[SlimShady83]

If we can get a really, really good Vet back up PG behind Ball, he'll be worth it as a 3rd string - but we need that vet PG

[Edrees]

He's a 3rd string. He isn't a backup pg on a championship level team.

[what would jack bauer do?]

Raul Neto is available this summer. He'd be a great compliment to Lonzo. Dude has bulked up a bit since the year he started a lot of games for Utah. I remember he was pesky as hell on defense when he got more minutes. He can shoot the 3 ball too. I think we're in dire need of a little speedy pg.

I think Neto could be a late bloomer like a Barea. Just a solid rotation player off the bench. Would love to see a Ball/Neto/Caruso depth chart. Zo and neto in a small ball lineup would cause havoc on the defensive end with Neto on the ball and Zo playing the passing lanes.

[Kilroy]

I am so incredibly grateful that the lakers dodged the Rondo bullet. Dude has crawled so far up his own Celtic-green ass, he’s probably convinced he’s an actual Leprechaun.


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[milesfides]

Alex Caruso should have started when Lonzo went down. Triple-threat, can shoot, drive, make plays. He is also a good defender, both on the ball and off the ball, can provide good help defense with shot-blocking, and at 6'5" and strong, his size gives him the ability to switch, the versatility necessary for elite team defense.

His lack of perceived speed doesn't hold up - he was very good against D'Aaron Fox and other quick guards. Lack of athleticism? Can throw down nasty dunks and aforementioned shot blocking.

He was inconsistent with his shooting, and at times his energy. But that's pretty understandable given his changing roles on the team (played from 1 to 3), and the G-league yo-yo.

Love the way he approached the game, and whenever he's given consistent minutes and a consistent role, he's played consistently well. Give him more opportunity, let him play his game, and he'll be that dynamic guard necessary in today's game.

[SlimShady83]

^ TO THE ABOVE - THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT WALTON HAS/HAD A HUGE MAN CRUSH ON ENNIS THAT'S WHY HE SAT CARUSO DOWN A LOT FEELSBAD MAN

Yes I'm yelling here lol

Edit: I wanna see some more Caruso 1 handed throwdown dunks:) (so much better then lebum lol) - he is a must sign just on those alone

[Kilroy]

Really struggling to find a reason why we're discussing Caruso... He's got to be way way down the list of priorities at this point.

[ak7]

Really struggling to find a reason why we're discussing Caruso... He's got to be way way down the list of priorities at this point.

He doesn’t belong on a roster that is vying for a championship.

So sure, he can stay if we want to continue to be in the lottery because he will help contribute to that goal.

[milesfides]

This league is evolving because of data-driven analytics and creativity, and it's rapidly rewarding coaches and players who embrace the changes. Those who don't, like Byron Scott, will never coach in the NBA again. And many players and some stars will quickly find their careers derailing if they can't adjust. (see Jimmy Butler v. Andrew Wiggins, Dejounte Murray v. D'Angelo Russell).

Take, for example, a guy like Joe Ingles. A tweener, not very athletic, very little upside. On many teams, he might have been used as a spot-up shooter like Matt Bonner in very limited minutes. He might have been squeezed out of a roster and eventually out of the league. Instead, his game has grown every year under a (great) coach who gave him an opportunity and utilized his strengths that make him one of the better starting wings in the NBA.

Elite skils will always be the coveted asset, but versatility and playmaking has never been at a higher premium than now.

And Caruso is a versatile, dynamic player. If the Lakers don't give him an opportunity, some other team will. There's no shortage of surprises every season, when teams overlook gems because of antiquated ideas of what constitutes a good basketball player.

[ak7]

This league is evolving because of data-driven analytics and creativity, and it's rapidly rewarding coaches and players who embrace the changes. Those who don't, like Byron Scott, will never coach in the NBA again. And many players and some stars will quickly find their careers derailing if they can't adjust. (see Jimmy Butler v. Andrew Wiggins, Dejounte Murray v. D'Angelo Russell).

Take, for example, a guy like Joe Ingles. A tweener, not very athletic, very little upside. On many teams, he might have been used as a spot-up shooter like Matt Bonner in very limited minutes. He might have been squeezed out of a roster and eventually out of the league. Instead, his game has grown every year under a (great) coach who gave him an opportunity and utilized his strengths that make him one of the better starting wings in the NBA.

Elite skils will always be the coveted asset, but versatility and playmaking has never been at a higher premium than now.

And Caruso is a versatile, dynamic player. If the Lakers don't give him an opportunity, some other team will. There's no shortage of surprises every season, when teams overlook gems because of antiquated ideas of what constitutes a good basketball player.

Interesting take given the fact that Real Plus Minus and Regularized Adjusted Plus Minus stats put Anthony Caruso in the "I never want this scrub on my team, ever" cat. Which is actually where he belongs. There are simply many, many better options who can fill his role on a contending team. The literal only good thing about him is his hit on the cap relative to his production.

[milesfides]

Except plus minus isn’t a good measurement for players who don’t have consistent roles, let alone on a struggling bench on a struggling team, let alone one riddled with injuries.

Tyus Jones posted a top 7 plus minus among all point guards this year. Fred VanVleet bested Ben Simmons. Delon Wright, better than John Wall. What does that mean?

You can’t really put too much stock in real plus minus with these guys off the bench who don’t play much.

And yeah, Caruso’s defensive real plus minus came out ahead of Klay Thompson’s.

[ak7]

Except plus minus isn’t a good measurement for players who don’t have consistent roles, let alone on a struggling bench on a struggling team, let alone one riddled with injuries.

Tyus Jones posted a top 7 plus minus among all point guards this year. Fred VanVleet bested Ben Simmons. Delon Wright, better than John Wall. What does that mean?

You can’t really put too much stock in real plus minus with these guys off the bench who don’t play much.

And yeah, Caruso’s defensive real plus minus came out ahead of Klay Thompson’s.

I suggest that you do some homework on what Regularized Adjusted Plus Minus is, you don't seem to grasp that.

Also, Real Plus Minus =/= "plus minus."

And yes, when the stat gets brought up for a player who at best is a 3rd string backup on a bad team, the default argument is to discredit the stat, I get that. At any rate, despite RPM and RAPM being significantly different, they both say the same thing: Caruso sucks. This is why Ennis was given minutes over him. The stat geeks back up the eye test.

[Wavy Q]

Why do we even care lol he will play literally 0 playoff minutes on ANY playoff team. He's at best a garbage time guy

[milesfides]

I suggest that you do some homework on what Regularized Adjusted Plus Minus is, you don't seem to grasp that.

Also, Real Plus Minus =/= "plus minus."

Actually no, espn, nba.com, basketball reference, and others all have their version of plus/minus. And none of them are close to perfect, and each formula has its strengths and weaknesses. If you’re claiming RAPM accounts for a player on a two-way contract subject to unusually wide range of minutes and roles - you’re wrong, it doesn’t. You’re just throwing around a stat that you think helps your argument, but you can’t explain and you don’t understand.

And yes, when the stat gets brought up for a player who at best is a 3rd string backup on a bad team, the default argument is to discredit the stat, I get that. At any rate, despite RPM and RAPM being significantly different, they both say the same thing: Caruso sucks. This is why Ennis was given minutes over him. The stat geeks back up the eye test.

You’d be wrong, because as I’ve pointed out before, the stats portray an uneven picture. Statistically, Caruso was our second best defensive guard after Lonzo. His shooting wasn’t good, but his minutes and role were inconsistent - far more than anybody on the team. He never had a chance to get into rhythm - he was jerked around from point guard to off guard to the three, and almost always relegated to just a floor spacer who never got the swing swing pass.

Tyler Ennis, on the other hand, was exclusively backup point guard, given the ball to run the second unit, and had a more consistent role and minutes. But he still wasn’t very good. Too small, defensively can’t switch, inconsistent playmaker and shooter, limited upside.

[JohnVancouver]

Good defender, smart player, high IQ, great ethic, teammates love him. 3rd guard for sure. maybe more when Ennis is gone. Let's see what he can do witha defined role