Doris Burke disagrees on your "decent" take her saying Caruso is "more athletic than you think" which is saying he is decent... Anyone notice all his highlight reel plays come off quick fire direct passes from Caldwell-Pope? Nah...probably just me.
Yeah on the first sentence. This talk about the dunk contest is silly as he's not really a big leaper and has to cradle it. He'd get "moldered". And LOL .... nope me neither.
30 minutes 6-11FG 2-3 3pt 2-4 FT 4 Reb 4 Ast 0 TO 2 Stil +/- +7 16 Pts Solid. More consistent by far than Lonzo and more complete all around game plus more durable.
How cute...Caruso brought his kid to the game. Live look at LB, AD and AC... Don’t @ me asking who’s who.
It sounds premature and fanboyish but I think its fair to say that Caruso is a better player than Lonzo. Lonzo has one of those amazing games every once in a blue moon but over an extended period of time, Caruso's contribution is higher than Lonzos. Doesn't have the passing (Lonzo is a far better passer) but is pretty much better or equal at everything else.
It's insane when you think about it. He came into the Lakers being undrafted and I would take him over Lonzo easily. Defense is elite at this point. In a way, very similar to Lonzo's defense in not fouling shooters. Offensively, he's able to beat guards off the dribble and attack the paint (something Lonzo was always afraid of. Dude hated contact). He's got a good enough shot to where leaving him open is a huge mistake. Smart high IQ player who has no problem taking over PG duties when LeBron is there but also has no ego and gives it up to Bron when asked for. You also don't have to worry about the guy getting injured because he's almost like a damn tank. Open market, Caruso could probably fetch 8-10 million, IMO... He's able to run the offense and plays elite defense. I said on another thread that Caruso, Bradley, Green, LeBron, and AD might be our best defensive lineup and I hope we'll see that play out eventually. It's too good not to start experimenting on.
i love caruso...pretty hard...but the comparison to lonzo isn't entirely fair, as caruso isn't asked to do what lonzo has been asked (and has failed) to do. which is carry an offense against starting-level talent for 30+mpg. i don't think caruso can do it, either (though i should stop doubting him, tbh). i'm glad to be done with the headache and forced commitment to the lonzo experiment. and caruso is great as a backup 20-25mpg combo guard, which is what we need him to be. i will say that between the fragility and the mental issues, it doesn't seem like lonzo was going to be starting pg we needed right now, either. so if he was going to be a 20-25mpg backup in the caruso role, why not just have caruso?
I kind of agree with you abeer3. I don't think it's a fair comparison either. Personally Lonzo is the young guy I most wanted to keep in the AD trade because of his skillset. He would have taken a lot of the burden off Lebron to play the point and set up the offense. Lonzo is so good at moving the ball quickly, he can function extremely effectively with very little actual time handling the ball. I think the main thing he needed to improve was his three point shooting and his reluctance to go inside. But his passing would have been pretty incredible on this current team. Not to mention his excellent defense. Admittedly, I'm a Lonzo fan. Have been since he was a Bruin. Ultimately though, of course Lonzo was a major piece for NO in the deal. Having a starting PG to go alongside Holiday was a real boon for them. I would have liked to see how he developed though playing alongside Lebron and AD, but that wasn't possible. But I do love Caruso and what he's doing out there. He's a fun player to watch with his hustle, his outstanding finishes on the break and his tenacious D.
Here’s some data that supports Caruso is better off-ball working off of Bron/‘Do’s playmaking instead of being a playmaker/set-up guy himself. Additional playmaking is a concern. There is no if, and or buts about it. Still, I would rather dude remain elite in defense, instead of trying to sacrifice it for playmaking. Hopefully his perimeter D will allow Bron to rest some on that end of the court during the remainder of the regular season.
