If there's one thing you can count on with the Los Angeles Lakers, it's Alex Caruso playing lockdown defense on a nightly basis. He's the ultimate pest and always plays his heart out.
Head coach Frank Vogel had nothing but good things to say about Caruso's impact, even making the bold statement that he deserves to make the All-Defensive Team this season:
“Alex Caruso has stepped up big time,” Vogel told reporters. “He really has. We're all talking about Anthony [Davis] in the last two games with high scoring totals, Alex has had his two highest scoring totals of the season these last two games as well, 18 and 17 points. To do it without skipping a beat on the defensive end where he is an elite defender and I think it's worth mentioning that he has to be considered for All-Defensive Team with the way that he does everything on that side of the ball.”
Caruso has been solid for the Lakers on both ends of the floor, dropping 17 points on Sunday night in an important win over the Suns. Obviously, being an All-Defensive player is a huge accomplishment and although Vogel thinks he is worthy, it may seem like a long shot because of his lack of playing time.
Caruso averages just 21.1 minutes per game, which would be the third-fewest number of minutes amongst any player to ever be named to the team. But, his impact is hard to look past. The former Texas A&M standout has the fourth-best individual defensive rating in the league behind three members of the Utah Jazz. Rudy Gobert, Georges Niang, and Mike Conley.
Whether Caruso receives the honor or not, he'll continue to play a key part in the success of the Lakers with the playoffs quickly approaching.
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