Alex Caruso skyrockets into top 10 for All-Star voting among Western Conference guards

Published by

Brendan O'Sullivan

February 12, 2021 12:15 am

The Los Angeles Lakers may have a Big 3 on their hands as Alex Caruso rose into the top 10 for All-Star votes among Western Conference guards.

Jokes aside, he joins superstar teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the All-Star voting. James and Davis are in the frontcourt and rank first and fourth, respectively, in All-Star votes in the Western Conference.

Caruso, a four-year role player for the Lakers, is averaging 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this season through 19 games. He is shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 47.6 percent from three and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line.

Despite his low averages, he’s garnered popularity among NBA fans, especially Lakers fans.

It’s not uncommon for a role player or a player not meeting expectations to receive All-Star votes. For example, Klay Thompson, a perennial All-Star, is not playing this year but ranks eighth among Western Conference guards in All-Star voting.

Similarly, Zaza Pachulia, a career bench player who averaged 6.8 points per game for his career, was second in All-Star votes among frontcourt players in the Western Conference in 2017.

Although Caruso reached the top 10 in voting, he will most likely not make it to the All-Star game. The fans’ votes account for 50 percent of the decision while the other 50 percent is split between the media and current NBA players.

As much as Caruso is loved in the NBA community, his name will likely not appear on the All-Star game roster.

Brendan O'Sullivan

Brendan is a freelance writer for Lakers Daily and has covered the NBA and college basketball over the past few years. He’s also had experience writing and editing as the editor-in-chief of the Quinnipiac Chronicle, the university’s student-run newspaper.