Alex Caruso = Lakers Basketball

[milesfides]

I'm amazed by this guy. He came from nowhere, never even heard of him.

Yet he is flat out outplaying guys he has no business outplaying. Not only the guards on our own team, but De'Aaron Fox, George Hill, Ricky Rubio...

What is going on?

He is a straight up baller. Zero fear. Great leadership. Can shoot, score, finish, pass, defend, rebound, and hustle. Great vision, touch, feel for the game. He does a lot of the little things and a lot of the big things. With remarkable consistency.

The Lakers have been talking about position-less basketball, and Caruso embodies that kind of player, more than anybody else on the team. He makes his teammates better. He's unselfish. He's a competitor. He plays to win. There's a little nastiness to him too.

I love watching this kid play. He's just flat out balling, and I'm really surprised people aren't talking about him more. He's a steal. To me, he embodies what Laker basketball should be about, especially under Luke Walton.

He plays beautiful basketball. He just keeps surprising me with how much game he has. He's got the right stuff. Of what I've seen so far this season, there are only three players who really get it. Lonzo, Kuzma, and Caruso. Everybody else is behind the curve. Complacent, selfish, immature. Ordinary.

To become a championship team, you have to be special.

This kid is special.

[DS17]

i like him too.

[TyCobb]

Unfortunately, a competent basketball player next to most of this team will look 'special'. Another guy that came in with Lonzo and an understanding of what will work along side him. He is a natural PG like he is playing now, but he can also play alongside Lonzo because he can shoot and position himself well on the court. He should jump ahead of Ennis on the depth chart as the backup PG.

[XXBKXX]

I just finished the Lakers game (watching on recording) and was about to write a post about Caruso and you beat me to it. I actually like what I see out of Ennis also but Caruso is showing how he can control the game and get teammates good shots. He's head and shoulders better than Ennis and should be our backup pg to Lonzo. We won't miss a beat if we always have one of Zo or Caruso in the game. That last pass to Lopez that Brook missed was a dime. What a great find he is. Hopefully we use Caruso more this year. In fact we should send Zu to the G league and keep Caruso on the main roster.

[SlimShady83]

Man crush?

Nothing wrong with that, I like him too

[Laker_Kid]

Ennis sucks. So glad we have Caruso, who plays a more similar style as Lonzo.

[BeanBurrito]

I Love Caruso too!!

Offense seems to just run smoother with him compared to Ennis.

[Slava]

Given how poor Ennis is defensively it wouldn't surprise me if Caruso wins the back up PG battle soon.

[snaquille oatmeal]

I asked this in another thread and got no response. How can we get Caruso permanently on the team since he is contracted to play half the season in the G league? How would we change his contract and how is that going to affect the cap for next year?

[ak7]

Alex Caruso... out of the league once the Lakers find a real basketball player to come off the bench with the 2nd unit.

[danfantastk32]

Alex Caruso... out of the league once the Lakers find a real basketball player to come off the bench with the 2nd unit.

I was at the game last night (sucks Lonzo didn't play) and I walked away with a like opinion. The guy is not athletic compared to other guys out there, and it felt like he turned the ball over a dozen times trying to throw over people's heads, or getting stuck in the air, and throwing it away.

Box score says only 3 turnovers....but I don't know about that. Really felt like a dozen. Says Randle only had 2 turnovers, and that seems unbelievable as well.

Dished out 10 assists (shoulda been 11 LOPEZ!) and I remember him getting in on the rebounding game, but he felt slower than anyone else, and totally out of control.

Ennis ain't exactly lighting fireworks either, so it will be interesting to see who we go with.

[milesfides]

I asked this in another thread and got no response. How can we get Caruso permanently on the team since he is contracted to play half the season in the G league? How would we change his contract and how is that going to affect the cap for next year?

Really good question that hasn't been clearly answered, but I checked the Collective Bargaining Agreement. A two-way contract can be converted into a standard contract for the minimum, for the remaining term of the two-way contract. Alex Caruso's contract term is two years, so his converted standard contract, if converted now, would be for the minimum for two years. I'm guessing the Lakers, or any NBA team, would probably evaluate a two-way player for the maximum allowed 45 NBA days first before converting his contract.


"Standard NBA Contract Conversion Option. Every Two-Way Contract shall provide the Team with an option to convert the Two-Way Contract during its term to a Contract that is not a Two-Way Contract (“Standard NBA Contract”) that provides for a Salary for each Salary Cap Year equal to the player’s applicable Minimum Player Salary and a term equal to the remainder of the original term of the Two-Way Contract beginning on the date such option is exercised (“Standard NBA Contract Conversion Option”). Such player’s applicable Minimum Player Salary shall be determined in accordance with Section 6 above. The Standard NBA Contract Conversion Option may be exercised at any point during the period beginning on July 1 and ending just prior to the start of the Team’s last Regular Season game in each Salary Cap Year covered by the Two-Way Contract. Upon conversion, such Contract shall become a Standard NBA Contract and shall no longer be governed by the provisions of this Agreement governing Two-Way Contracts".

-CBA, Article II, Section 11, (g)

http://nbpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2017-NBA-NBPA-Collective-Bargaining-Agreement.pdf

[dockingsched]

The only real issue with his contract and converting to a regular Nba contract is ensuring there’s a roster spot.

[milesfides]

That's more of an issue for his teammates, who are being outplayed by Caruso.

[dockingsched]

Not sure how that’s an issue for his teammates. The front office decides who’s on the roster, not his teammates. Front office would need to decide who gets cut in favor of Caruso or what type of trade they can execute to create a spot.

[snaquille oatmeal]

Not sure how that’s an issue for his teammates. The front office decides who’s on the roster, not his teammates. Front office would need to decide who gets cut in favor of Caruso or what type of trade they can execute to create a spot.

I think what Miles meant is that it is up to his teammates to convince the front office that they deserve a spot and not Caruso

[Spanish_Laker]

Don't overreact after a few preseason games fellas, let's wait until the real season begins and let's see if he delivers

[milesfides]

Sure, but it's the same with Kuzma....are we overreacting to Kuzma's play? No. Skills are skills. It's a small sample size, but you can't dismiss what Caruso's been doing as a fluke. He's been outplaying the competition almost every time he's out there, since the summer league. And it's the way he's been doing it. He's a dynamic player with a variety of skills. Did you see that cool floater he sank from behind the backboard? What the hell is going on, where did this guy come from. He's consistently making amazing passes, rebounding, stroking it from three, finishing w/ great touch and efficiency, and playing tough D (Koufas tried to back him down and Caruso stripped him) and high-motor hustle. None of those are flukes.

But most of all? Like Conor McGregor said, poise. It's Caruso's poise out there. He's a leader on the court, and he's facilitating pace, movement, etc. You can't teach that, he's just got it. Doesn't panic, always a threat, competes on both sides of the floor, looking for every edge and opportunity.

ESPN just released an piece on the development of the Warriors' offense, and changed their team culture. Very pertinent to us.

"And after two seasons alongside Kerr, soon after Walton agreed to take over the rebuilding Lakers, the new coach announced to his team that he wanted to create a nightly goal. He wanted something to establish a culture. Something to make everyone feel a part of a whole. Luke Walton wanted 300 passes a game."

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/enterpriseWarriors/how-steve-kerr-revolutionized-golden-state-warriors-offense-charcuterie-board

This is why the unselfish, team-first Caruso so important to this group of young, selfish, immature players. Lonzo Ball is great, but one player isn't enough. You need other key guys to establish, no, change, a team's culture.

I love that Alex Caruso is rocking Number 4, which was Luke Walton's number. Team first. But he's got a lot of swagger and sauce to his game.

[Edrees]

Alex Caruso... out of the league once the Lakers find a real basketball player to come off the bench with the 2nd unit.

So Caruso will be with us for at least 3 years? Cuz even if we sign PG and Lebron, who's coming off the bench with randle and clarkson off the books to sign them? It would be Caruso. can't afford much better when we'll be over the cap in such a scenario. If he plays like this in the regular season you can expect to see him part of the lakers for awhile because he'll be a favorite of lukes for his playstyle

[Kilroy]

Caruso is that guy we have every season that we love for like a week into the season, and hate with a passion the rest of the year...