During his short time with the Los Angeles Lakers, guard Alex Caruso has become a fan favorite and even has something of a cult following.
Lately, he’s been backing it up by not only bringing the hustle and intangibles to the court but also by consistently knocking down shots.
After L.A.’s 117-105 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Caruso explained how he’s been so effective playing with LeBron James.
🎥 Alex Caruso talks about his chemistry with LeBron and his highlight putback dunk in the 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/t9lDjtJL1W
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 22, 2020
“I just do a really good job of playing off him,” said Caruso of his chemistry with James. “I think one of my biggest strengths is recognizing defensive assignments where we can attack and be effective, and with LeBron, he draws so much attention that a lot of times there’s a guy on the other team that’s not paying attention. It might be my guy, it might be somebody else’s guy. Just taking advantage of that, and ultimately once we do that, people are gonna realize it, and then it’s gonna free up ‘Bron.”
Caruso’s season averages don’t exactly jump off the page. He’s putting up 5.5 points and 1.7 assists a game in 18.3 minutes while shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from 3-point range.
But he’s been making a positive impact whenever he’s been on the court. He’s fourth on the team in plus/minus, and his energy and hustle on the defensive end have been hard to miss.
After looking impressive late last season, Caruso struggled mightily early this season with his shooting. But since early December, he’s started to find consistency with his 3-point shot, which has only improved his on-the-court value as a role player.
Caruso also has a surprising penchant for coming up with the occasional highlight dunk. He had one on Friday when he turned a missed free throw by Anthony Davis into a two-handed putback dunk with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter.
