Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls has become one of the most beloved players in the league.
The point guard is averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists during his first season in the Windy City.
Alex Caruso with the power AND ONE 😤pic.twitter.com/NSGt5pS2Dy
— CarusoNationCP (@CarusoNationCP) December 20, 2021
Most impressively, he’s also creating two steals a game, which makes him the best in the league when it comes to that impressive stat.
Caruso is playing the best basketball of his career and is loved by fans across the league because of his can-do spirit, his smaller build, and his quiet but determined and dedicated attitude.
The only people who feel bittersweet about Caruso’s success are the Los Angeles Lakers because they traded him away in the offseason.
They are surely kicking themselves now.
The Promise Was Always There
Even before the blockbuster season he’s having now, Caruso was doing incredible work when he was playing for LA.
Last season, Caruso was creating 6.4 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.9 rebounds a game on an average of 21 minutes per game.
This all happened as Caruso was a bench player, only starting six games during the entire season.
But Caruso’s talent is about more than numbers.
Every time he suited up and played for the Lakers, Caruso left it all on the court.
He has the sort of intense mentality that makes champions and it was rare to ever see him not giving 100 percent of himself on every play.
This was especially true during some of his incredible defensive plays.
Caruso isn’t the biggest guy on the court but he was unafraid to go toe-to-toe with men much larger than him.
Lakers fans are upset about the Caruso trade because it was obvious that he was only getting better and would be even more talented in the years to come.
He started with a bang and it felt like the sky was the limit with him.
Yet despite all of that, he was sent away as the Lakers decided they’d have more luck with Talen Horton-Tucker.
LA Needs Him Now More Than Ever
The most painful part about losing Caruso is that he would come in handy right now for the Lakers.
Caruso is connecting on 44.2 percent of his shots from the floor, including 33.3 percent from beyond the three-point line.
As mentioned, he’s also a menace to other players when defending them.
Look at this defense by Alex Caruso🔒
His 38 steals is tied for most in the league and he's the only player averaging more than 2 steals (2.4) while playing less than 30 minutes. pic.twitter.com/b00fRbzS9L
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 20, 2021
Right now, the Bulls have a 106.7 defensive rating, making them sixth in the league while the Lakers are 12th.
As you can see, Caruso could be helping the team in many ways.
The Lakers are having trouble from…well, just about everywhere but especially from the three-point line and especially in their defensive plays.
That’s exactly where Caruso would help.
Not only is he becoming a great shooter and a stealing machine, he’s also one of the best wing defenders in the NBA.
There are just so many reasons why the Lakers should have kept Caruso.
He isn’t yet ready to lead a team but he would be a wonderful addition to LA’s starting lineup.
In fact, some people would prefer to start with Caruso over Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers made a bad decision by getting rid of Caruso and are desperately missing him now.
LA fans are hopeful that maybe someday he will return to the purple and gold.
NEXT: Should The Spurs Trade Dejounte Murray?
