The Denver Nuggets took on the Lakers' challenge at home, and with about four minutes left in the game, the Lakers and Nuggets were glued.
Vogel waved a big hand and Caruso replaced Danny. Green. Caruso first made a foul and made one of the two penalties, then defended the low position to resist the teacher, the thick eyebrows assisted the defense of the big hat successfully, and caused the teacher to counter-rob the foul, and then there was a layup to win.
In the few minutes that Caruso played, not only did the defensive end contribute a lot, but also used his own way to help the Lakers catch up with the score, directly laying the foundation for winning.
After the game, Vogel praised Caruso, "He's a very hard-working guy, he's great defensively on the pitch, he's my secret weapon". Dudley tweeted congratulations, "Oh my God, this is God's performance."
Opportunities favor those who are prepared, and Caruso is one of them. Caruso doesn't have the explosive impact of James, the talent of a basket monster like O'Neill, only a harder-working attitude and more focused attention than ordinary people.
<h1>How did Caruso get a place in the NBA? I thought there were several reasons. </h1>
First, he has a positive attitude. He was a 2016 loser, can feel the heartache of the NBA's low-level players, cherish every minute in the NBA arena, only practice his skills every day, and are willing to do dirty work on the court.
Second, he has excellent physical qualities. Caruso came from a basketball family. His mother was a track and field athlete, so Caruso was completely inherited from his mother, with a terrifying bounce that gave him capital in the NBA.
Third, he has a superb ball quotient, excellent ball handling skills and accurate steal judgment. Caruso is not known for scoring, he is based in the NBA with his simple and practical dribbling skills and excellent defense.
In the Lakers' defeat to the Knicks on January 26, Caruso played 20 minutes and had 4 points, 3 assists and 6 steals, 6 steals is his career high. With six steals in 20 minutes, the side proved how hard he worked on the defensive end.
<h1>Caruso's outstanding performance on the defensive end conquered the coaching staff. </h1>
Lakers coach Vogel once said, "He is a star defensive player, willing to do dirty work, organize tandem teams, and even grab rebounding card slots."
According to statistics, Caruso's defensive efficiency reached 97.6, the second in the league; the net efficiency was 12.4, the eleventh in the league.
The Lakers reached a 2-year, $5.5 million deal with Caruso in the summer offseason.
<h1>Caruso adapts to the Lakers' roster and the team's defensive strategy. </h1>
The Lakers are currently building teams around james and Davis, two super giants, and since Leonard went to the Clippers, the Lakers have adopted a B plan to sign a substitute role player, and Caruso is also part of it.
The Lakers' starters are Danny Green, Bradley/Pope, James, Davis, McGee. The team's lineup is more balanced, especially the interior line, where McGee is responsible for protecting rebounds and taking care of the frame, while Davis plays his strong mobility and is always ready to assist.
The outside line is Danny Green and Bradley, both of whom started defensively, Danny Green is a good 3D defender, Bradley is a defensive expert in the Green Army; not to mention small forward James, an offensive and defensive superstar.
First of all, the Lakers' offense, James, as a guard, is the initiator of the offense, and has a huge advantage over the small guards on the other side, with thick eyebrows and McGee on the inside, and thick eyebrows are also the top superstars of the league.
When the Lakers pull out those two cards, the average team may not be able to resist, and there are two 3D guards who are good at three-pointers on the outside. When James breaks through, is it the thick eyebrow of the inside line or the pitcher who pounces on the outside line? You have to choose one of these two cups of poison.
Speaking of the Lakers' defensive end, James is the initiator of the offensive end, it is impossible to chase the opponent's small point guard, and it is not realistic. James is 36 years old, and he still has to solve the problem in the playoffs.
The problem arises, Green is not the standard front-line size, he is 1.98 meters tall, weighs only 98 kilograms, and Bradley is shorter. It is really difficult to take him to the top of the line, and when the Lakers encounter a strong front, it will be very difficult.
<h1>Caruso's defense has helped the Lakers more this season.' </h1>
The Lakers are currently 41-12 in the West, with an offensive efficiency of 113.4, a third in the league, a defensive efficiency of 106.3, and a fifth in the league.
The Lakers' goal is to win the championship, which is far from enough, the problem of flanking defense will be infinitely magnified in the playoffs, and there are many strong opponents in the West, as well as the Los Angeles Clippers with overflowing forward talent.
The world knows that the Lakers lack 3D players, but unfortunately the management estimates the value of Kuzma's trade is not much, and the team has not traded 3D players.
In this case, Caruso's emergence gave the Lakers management a glimmer of hope, that is, Caruso's position to the front, so there was the opening scene.
<h1>Caruso is better suited to pair james and Davis than Kuzma. </h1>
Caruso's match stats and high-level stats.
Caruso averaged 18.2 minutes per game, 5.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1 steal. The data seems bland, we can look at his offensive efficiency of 110, league one hundred and seven, defensive efficiency of 97.6, the league fourth, the goal efficiency of 12.4, the league twelfth.
Kuzma's match stats and advanced stats.
Kuzma averaged 24.7 minutes, 12.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists and 33.2 percent three-point shooting. Offensive efficiency 110.8, league 80th, defensive efficiency 103.8, league 64th.
Kuzma averaged 1.5 points per game in key moments, shooting 75 percent from the field, while Caruso scored just 0.4 points and shot 50 percent from the field.
Simply comparing the data of Caruso and Kuzma, Caruso is inferior to Kuzma.
But why would Caruso be the one the coach likes to stay on the pitch?
What the Lakers lack is not offense, nor is there a lack of offensive talent, with an offensive efficiency of 113.4, the third in the league. The Lakers have James and thick eyebrows in the lineup, and there is no shortage of offensive talent, and the same is true for key moments.
And what is needed is someone who can contribute on the defensive end, and Caruso, who is good at defending, is the best candidate.
We can see Caruso's regular season scrambling stats, and when he's on the floor, the opponent's shooting percentage, whether it's two or three points, drops.
Caruso's scramble data
Comparing Kuzma's scrambling data, you will see it more clearly.
Kuzma's scramble for data
Obviously, Caruso is better suited to stay on the court than Kuzma on the defensive end, and the key is that Caruso can withstand the attack of the opponent's front line on the defensive end.
The Lakers take an oppressive defense on the outside, a big frame on the inside, and a thick eyebrow mobility to assist in defense. The emphasis is on the overall defense, and the player's sense of position is important, so the smaller Caruso will be more suitable than Kuzma.
Given the Lakers' aggressive defensive strategy of hoarding a large number of inside rim guards and outside, Kuzma can play in games where opponents are relatively weak, after all, Kuzma is young and has potential to tap.
Or you can play a price to help the Lakers trade to qualify the flank, which depends on how the Lakers choose.
<h1>summary</h1>
Caruso has grown into a member of the Lakers rotation, and his defensive ability has brought great help to the team and is expected to develop into a defensive gate on the outside. However, the disadvantage is also obvious, that is, the shooting ability is not strong enough, and it needs to continue to improve to help the team.