Depending on where you stand, the reports of Avery Bradley can be a great sign for the Los Angeles Lakers or an ominous one. However, after Tuesday’s practice, the Lakers head coach Frank Vogel credited another one of their guards for showing “toughness” in the first few days of camp: Alex Caruso.
Caruso is a fan favorite of not only the Lakers, but NBA fans across the internet. And his strong play to conclude last season, where he was a better shooter and cut down on his turnovers, gave the Lakers enough hope to sign him to a two-year deal. But the Lakers are a veteran ball club and Caruso has never been on an NBA roster until this year. With all of that in mind, Caruso is reportedly getting time at the 2 as well as at point guard in training camp.
Via Christian Rivas for Silver Screen and Roll
“On a broader spectrum, there’s 82 games in a season and for where this team wants to go, there’s going to be games after those 82,” Caruso said. “It’s going to take everyone to get to that point. There’s going to be times where guys are hurt or guys are older and need to take some rest to recover, so we’re going to be able to step in with whoever it is that needs to plug in and be able to get the job done on a given night.”
As I suggested in the roster countdown for the Lakers, if Caruso can be close to the the player he showed he was at the end of last season he may be the most versatile guard on the Lakers roster. At 6-5, he brings a lot of size and athleticism at the guard position while not sacrificing floor-spacing. However, with this being his first NBA season, it’s understanding that the veteran Lakers coaching staff is being patient with their most inexperienced guard. But Caruso is apparently showing the toughness needed to be available for a veteran squad with high hopes.
