Future Watch: Alex Caruso Rookie Basketball Cards, Lakers – Alex Caruso was born in College Station, Texas in 1994. He attended A&M Consolidated High School. In his senior season, he averaged 18 points and nine rebounds per game. He earned numerous awards including district MVP after leading his team to the postseason. Caruso would attend Texas A&M, keeping him close to home for his college career.
In four seasons with the Aggies, Caruso averaged eight points, 4.7 assists and two steals per game. He would finish as the school’s all-time leader in assists and steals with 649 and 276 respectively. In his senior season, he earned SEC All-Defensive Team and second-team All-SEC honors. Caruso would go undrafted at the 2016 NBA draft, but would join the Philadelphia 76ers for their Summer League games. After a solid showing in the summer, Caruso signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was eventually waived but would sign with their NBA Developmental League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.
After one season in Oklahoma City, Caruso joined the Lakers for their 2017 Summer League session. He put up another solid showing in Las Vegas which helped him earn a two-way contract. Caruso bounced between the Lakers and their G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. He made his NBA debut on October 19th, 2017 against the Clippers. In 12 minutes, he scored two points, handed out two assists and grabbed one rebound. In the final game of the 2017-18 season, he scored 15 points and grabbed seven boards.
Caruso would sign another two-way contract with the Lakers after the 2018 Summer League. He would again split time between the NBA and the G-League. Rampant injuries on the Lakers roster has allowed Caruso to get significant minutes this spring. In 14 games this March, he’s averaging 23 minutes per game. In March, he had per-game averages of 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals. He also shot an astounding 48.5% from behind the arc on 2.4 attempts.
The 2018-19 season was disappointing for the Lakers. They had aspirations of returning to the playoffs under the leadership of Lebron James. With Lebron shut down for the rest of the season, the team will look to see what they have on their roster for the future. In Caruso, they have a competent shooting guard who fits with Lebron. He can shoot the three and make plays as a defender.
The Lakers will be a prime destination for free agents this summer and keeping a player like Caruso around on a cheap two-way contract makes a lot of sense. Lakers fans aren’t going to anoint him as the “missing piece” who will help Lebron carry the Los Angeles back to the Finals just because he had a few good weeks in March and April, but most would say he’s worth a look and deserves consideration for next year’s roster. If he can earn a roster spot and produce with Lebron, he’ll be a fan favorite.
Currently, collectors can find some great deals on Alex Caruso’s rookie cards in 2017-18 Panini NBA products. His Lakers jersey carries a very slight premium, but his certified autographs are affordable and worth adding to your collection if you like to speculate on G-League prospects. Look for his rookie cards in 2017-18 Contenders, Donruss Optic, Cornerstones and Status.
Follow him on Twitter @ACFresh21.
Future Watch: Alex Caruso Rookie Basketball Cards, Lakers – Stats
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 23 | LAL | NBA | PG | 37 | 7 | 15.2 | 1.4 | 3.1 | .431 | 0.4 | 1.2 | .302 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .507 | .487 | 0.6 | 0.8 | .700 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.6 |
| 2018-19 | 24 | LAL | NBA | PG | 20 | 0 | 17.2 | 2.3 | 4.8 | .474 | 0.9 | 1.7 | .500 | 1.4 | 3.1 | .459 | .563 | 1.8 | 2.3 | .800 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 7.2 |
| Career | NBA | 57 | 7 | 15.9 | 1.7 | 3.7 | .450 | 0.5 | 1.4 | .390 | 1.1 | 2.4 | .485 | .521 | 1.0 | 1.3 | .760 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 4.9 |
Future Watch: Alex Caruso Rookie Basketball Cards, Lakers – More Resources
Future Watch: Alex Caruso Rookie Basketball Cards, Lakers – Image Gallery
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