Hello Lakers nation.

My name is Trevor Lane, senior writer for lakers nation dot com, and this is the Lakers nation news.

Feed your home for Lakers news and analysis today.

We're talking about Alex Caruso.

That's right, that guy the Lakers fans love, but a lot of other fans can't see what the big deal is about.

I'm gonna explain what he's all about today.

First, quick shout out to our sponsor up time, energy drink So energy should feel you can find him at 7 11 GNC and amazon dot com and bet online dot a g your home for online gambling.

All you have to do is head over to see ln s media dot com slash lebron.

That's how they know that you came from us and then punching the promo code seal and as 50 and you get a 50% bonus on your first deposit.

So Alex Caruso, a guy that we need to talk about and the reason why is this? Look, I went out to summer league, I talked to a ton of fans, and what I found is that fans from other teams and even media members from other teams that don't cover the Lakers.

We're a little bit surprised that Lakers fans being so fired up about Alex Caruso re signing with the Lakers.

It was even a little bit of kind of not discussed.

But but just shock that I got a lot of Alex Caruso, so that's not going to move the needle, right? People weren't that in a merge with Caruso if they weren't a Lakers fan.

And look, I get it.

He only played 25 games last season, but today we need to talk about why this is such a big deal.

Why Alex Caruso signing with the Lakers is so important for this team.

And there's three reasons that I'm gonna dig into the 1st 1 that we need to talk about is sentiment.

Okay, Alex Caruso.

Look on a Lakers team that has been gutted, right? There is no one left over the last few years except for Kyle Cosmo.

I've been calling this sole survivor right.

Everybody else has been traded away.

Alex Caruso is still there.

Alex Caruso is the guy the Lakers fans fell in love with during the 2017 summer League.

Had that big duel with Aaron Fox when Lonzo Ball was unavailable due to injury, actually won the game, helped lead the Lakers to victory against the Sacramento Kings.

And from that moment on, Alex Russo had us.

He had Lakers fans in his back pocket.

Everybody was cheering for him and rooting for him because he's that guy that plays with hustle nonstop.

He throws himself all over the floor.

He puts himself in harm's way.

This is the guy who went undrafted, fought his way up through the D League, became the first player ever to get a two way contract, thanks to that performance against Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings.

This is that guy who has scrapped and fought all the way up.

And so it's hard not to root for a guy like like Alex Caruso.

So, of course, sentiment is going to play a role here.

Lakers fans.

They're going to feel a connection.

Alex Caruso, because we've seen him fight and we've seen him battle all the way into the N B A.

But it's not just that.

It's not just on emotional thing.

Statistically, Alex Caruso has improved his game so much.

Look, the knock on Alex Caruso and the reason why he went undrafted.

The reason why he spent years toiling away in the dealing before finally getting that full type, eh? NBA contract this last season was in part because of his shooting.

He was inconsistent shooting from three, and that was a big, big issue for him.

Okay, look when he came into the N B A in 2017 2018 during N B A minute's not G League minutes, but n ba minutes.

He only shot 30% from three for the Lakers. 30%.

That's not getting it done, especially not getting it done for a point guard.

That's a problem if you have a point guard who can't shoot from three.

Look at how much rage of Rondo.

Rondo has been blind for not being a shooter now.

He actually got his three point shooting up this last season.

Credit to him, but non shooting point guards are really, really tough thing to build around in the n B A.

So him being able to prove Cruise, so being able to prove that he can shoot was really important and guess what he did last season.

He shot 48% from three.

Now I want to caution you don't expect that there's going to be a regression there.

Don't assume he's going to shoot 48% from three, because to give it some context.

Alex Caruso.

He only played 25 games last season, so the sample size is tiny.

But if he had shot 45% from three or 48% from three for the entire season, he would have been the best three point shooter in the league.

I'm talking about his three point percentage would have been better than Joe Harris, who had the best three point percentage in the league, Would have been better than Danny Green, who was Number two would have been better than both the Curry brothers.

Look, that's not gonna happen, Okay, Alex Caruso is not that good of a shooter.

But what we have found out is that he's probably a better shooter than what he used to be.

It has improved way and again, small sample size.

But what makes me believe that the shooting is riel is this free throw percentage.

A lot of times free throw percentage can be an indicator of overall shooting skill and He has been an 80% shooter from the free throw line in his last two G League seasons, struggled a little bit two seasons ago in the N B, A only hit 75% then bumped it up to 80 last season.

This guy can shoot.

He is a good shooter.

Personally, I think he needs a little bit more, are kind of shot from three.

But Mike Penberthy I'm sure we'll be working plenty with him on that.

But this guy can shoot the ball OK, It's just a matter of him getting enough for ups and getting out there and doing it.

And I really think he has worked on his jumper quite a bit and so that's why we saw such a great performance from last season.

If he can keep shooting the ball like that now I know he's not gonna shoot 48% but if he can shoot 38% from three, that would be amazing.

That'd be fantastic.

Defense's would have to worry about him out there on the perimeter and if he can do that to go along with the Southern defense that he also that he already plays to go along with the hustle that he shows to go roll along with the playmaking skills that he's got already.

He already has all these other excellent attributes.

If he can do all of those things, then you know what Alex Caruso could legitimately be competing for a starting spot.

Think about what a story that is.

Alex Caruso competing for a starting spot on the Lakers on a Lakers team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis because he's gonna be competing with guys like Quinn Cook, rage on Rondo, Avery Bradley, and he could wind up you as your starter next season at point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Incredible.

The other thing that we need to talk about here is the value that you're getting out of.

Alex Crusoe, the bang for your buck if you're with me.

If you believe that the shooting improvement is real and that it's gonna fall in line with everything else that he's shown in his game, he can hit from deep.

If he can continue attacking the room, which, by the way, he does need to improve his finishing at the basket.

That's one of the areas that that he was a little weekend this last season.

But if he can continue to show that he is a solid N b A player and he could potentially play his way into the starting lineup, think about the value you're getting out of him and just five point 5,000,000.

In fact, even if he's coming off the bench, he's a tremendous, tremendous value.

I'm talking about five point 5,000,000 over two years.

This is a guy who is going to be a bargain for the Lakers.

Look, you've heard me say before, I'm a bang for your buck kind of guy.

I want guys who are producing relative to their contract.

That's why I'm so fired up about the DaMarcus Cousins contractor.

Just three point 5,000,000.

He is going to be a tremendous value at that price tag.

Alex Caruso can provide value as well, especially when we compare him to his contemporaries.

No, look again.

25 games sample size.

It's small, OK, admittedly, but if you think that Alex Caruso has that kind of talent like I do and you compare him to some players that put up similar stats to the ones that he put up in his 25 games with the Lakers, and you look what they got in free agency.

Oh, boy, look, Alex Caruso compares pretty favorably to two guys to back up point guards.

They got nice big deals in the N b a this last season, and I'm talking about the lawn, right? And Cory Joseph.

Statistically, Caruso lines up pretty well with both of them.

I'm not going to say any one of them was better than the other or anything along right may have been a little bit more productive statistically, but they're all close enough to where they would be right in the same range of each other.

And yet the lawn right got a three year deal worth 29,000,000 this last summer.

Cory Joseph got a three year deal with 37,000,000 although not all of that is guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Alex Crusoe two years, just five point 5,000,000.

Now, look, The reason why Alex Caruso got that is because he's unproven because he hasn't been in the league for 67 years like these other guys have.

He's very brave new, but that also means he's younger.

He's younger than both of these guys.

You could argue that he has more upside than those guys because he still has room to grow as an N b A players.

So that's something that's important as well.

But Alex Caruso was getting paid like a guy who hasn't quite proved yet.

He's proved that there's something there, but he hasn't proven that he's ready for the big, big deal just yet.

But you know it.

Like I said, if he can work his way into the starting lineup, if you'd even become a key part of the rotation, that's coming for him and he's got that kind of talent, he's got that kind of ability.

Look, this Lakers team think about the talent they've got on it.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis.

You need guys who could do two things who can defend well and can shoot from the outside.

And Alex grew, so we know he can defend.

We know he's tough as nails.

We know he's willing to take bumps and bruises and do whatever it takes to go out there and help the team win.

If his jumper continues to to develop the way it did last season, this is a guy who could be a tremendous fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

And so that look, there's could be a very, very big season for Alex Cruz.

So that's the bottom line with him.

The value is great at this price tag.

Yes, he's a G League guy, but this is a guy who is ready to shed that label right now, and he's going to come in and improve something this next season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Look, let me wrap up with this.

Finally, Alex Caruso coming back.

Remember what he did last season, One of the lasting memories from Alex Crusoe, which is a few games left.

He went and dropped 32 points, 10 boards and five assists against the Clippers in a win.

He was the Onley Laker all season to drop 32 points other than other than LeBron James, 10 plus boards and five plus rebounds.

That's it, right? That's it.

Nobody else on the Lakers dropped those kind of numbers.

Alex Caruso again.

32 points, 10 boards, five assists.

Incredible stuff.

Don't don't sleep on this guy.

He can play.

And so that's why Lakers fans air so excited that he's back.

This is a guy who could really contend for a starting spot with your Lakers again.

What a story that would be coming from the G League scrapping when undrafted fought his way all the way up.

Certainly a guy to keep on keeping eye on this next season for your Los Angeles Lakers.

All right, guys, make sure you keep it tuned to the Lakers nation YouTube channel going.

Subscribe to us there.

She could get to notify every time there's a new video coming out and, of course, follows on social media at Lakers Nation on Facebook and Twitter at Lakers Nation.

Official on Instagram.

My name's Trevor Lane.