When Alex Caruso was able to speak by telephone with Mark Daigneault, he smiled “ up to the ears “. “ He said to me: 'Don't be smart,' and I told him I couldn't wait for him to yell at me at the first practice “, reports the playmakertransferred from the Bulls to the Thunder, against Josh Giddey.
This reflects the level of complicity between two men who already know each other very well. The explanation? Even though he has never worn a Thunder jersey until now, the former Chicago player took his first steps in the league in Oklahoma City.
After his four seasons at Texas A&M University, Alex Caruso signed a non-guaranteed contract in September 2016, before being cut the following month by Billy Donovan (whom he will meet again in Chicago…).
The first coupe in 2016
He was the first player to be removed from the squad by the coach at the time. “ I was the first guy cut, but he talked to me and said, 'I think you can be an NBA player.' », remembers the leader who will need several years to prove that Donovan was right.
Because before the big league, head to the little sister and the OKC Blue then coached by… Mark Daigneault. With him, in 50 games played during the 2016-17 season, Alex Caruso averaged 12 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
Enough to get a chance at the Lakers, with a contested “summer league”, then a “two-way contract” proposed. “ I knew I had to find a way to get on the field. That was the most important thing. I had to find a way to be able to have my six minutes and turn it into eight, then ten, then twelve. And that's kind of what I did when I arrived in Los Angeles. »
Even though he quickly became the darling of Californian fans, the Texas native went through phases of doubt. “ It was by trial and error. They threw me into the fire several times. Sometimes I failed, sometimes I succeeded, but the times I failed, I learned from it and figured out what I needed to do better. »
Supplemented by defenders already in place
Thus would be born his reputation as an absolute warrior, capable of overturning an encounter through his defensive energy alone. LeBron James' accomplice in the game, he will be an important cog in the Lakers' title in 2020. Signer of a nice contract with the Bulls in 2021, Alex Caruso is today recruited by OKC for these qualities.
Sam Presti, the team's GM, speaks of him as a “ exceptional competitor » which will complement the defensive potential of the team (4th defense in the league last year) embodied by Lu Dort or Chet Holmgren, whose highlights the newcomer has already seen in defense.
“ They are long, athletic, competitive, tough, all things we use to describe elite defenders and good defensive teams. They have active hands. They are ready to sacrifice themselves for the team. I am delighted to make my contribution. But I also know that I will not be the defensive reference every night. I think in Chicago, everyone looked at me as the No. 1 defense. But Lu and Chet are guys to take into account », he analyzes.
“ Hopefully it's the perfect wedding everyone's talking about », concludes Alex Caruso whose divorce eight years ago seems distant.
| Alex Caruso | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | LAL | 37 | 15 | 43.1 | 30.2 | 70.0 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 3.6 |
| 2018-19 | LAL | 25 | 21 | 44.5 | 48.0 | 79.7 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 9.2 |
| 2019-20 | LAL | 64 | 18 | 41.2 | 33.3 | 73.4 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 5.5 |
| 2020-21 | LAL | 58 | 21 | 43.6 | 40.1 | 64.5 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 6.4 |
| 2021-22 | CHI | 41 | 28 | 39.8 | 33.3 | 79.5 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 7.4 |
| 2022-23 | CHI | 67 | 24 | 45.5 | 36.4 | 80.8 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 5.6 |
| 2023-24 | CHI | 71 | 29 | 46.8 | 40.8 | 76.0 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 10.1 |
| Total | 363 | 23 | 44.0 | 38.0 | 75.1 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 6.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
