Alex Caruso has been a pleasant surprise for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. In fact, he is already starting to become a fan favorite for the Purple and Gold faithful.

The 25-year old guard also recently drew praise from head coach Frank Vogel for his elite defense. Vogel called him a “star defender” and applauded him for his intelligence and activity on that end of the ball.

* @ACFresh21 continues to lead the Lakers in defensive rating at 96.3. Here’s Frank Vogel explaining how: pic.twitter.com/lS11kj2hbA — Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 30, 2019

Caruso currently leads Los Angeles in defensive rating. Playing nearly 20 minutes a night off the Lakers bench, Caruso is putting up nightly averages of 4.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals.

Sure, the numbers don’t really jump out the page, but Caruso’s value comes when he is trying to stop the best offensive player of the opposing squad.

The 6-foot-5 Texas A&M product may not look the part, but don’t let his looks deceive you. Caruso is a pest defensively and provides a great spark for the Lakers off the bench.

It has been an all-around team effort for Los Angeles on that end, as they boast a top-five defense so far this season. They are currently fourth in defensive rating as a team, and they allow the third fewest points across the league at 103.5 per game. They are also sixth in opposing field goal percentage.

The Lakers have championship aspirations this season and are looking good so far with about a quarter of the season in the books. With banner no. 17 in their sights, it will have to take a full-team effort for the team to accomplish their goals this season.