3 Los Angeles Lakers exceeding expectations so far

2. Alex Caruso

It’s been a big year so far for the Bald Mamba.

While the stats aren’t going to blow anyone away, Alex Caruso has been a driving force for the Los Angeles Lakers during the recent six-game winning streak. Take a quick look at Twitter or Reddit, and you’ll find plenty of Lakers Nation faithful citing the fact that all six of his appearances this season have resulted in wins.

As previously mentioned, the numbers aren’t anything to write home about. In those six outings, Caruso is averaging 3.8 points, 1.5 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He’s connected on only 34.6 percent of his field goals (27.3 percent from downtown) and his PER (5.97) is meh.

Still, he’s a high-energy spark plug who comes up with that turn-the-tide play at just the right time.

Despite the less-than-impressive numbers, the Lakers continue to increase his minutes. Why? Because his effort, confidence and tenacity (especially on defense) are contagious. And it’s not as if the Lakers need him to be a scoring machine – they’ve got plenty of scorers on the roster.

With everything that Caruso brings to the table, his inability to stuff the stat sheet shouldn’t be a concern.

Every NBA roster needs glue guys. It’s why the Lakers signed Jared Dudley and it’s why Caruso continues to be a prominent piece of the puzzle. His subtle impact on game day has not only made him a locker room favorite, but Los Angeles fans can’t get enough of him.