Lakers' Decision to Let Alex Caruso Walk Wasn't About Money—It Was a Valuation Mistake
The Caruso Conundrum: A Data-Driven Disaster
When BR’s Eric Pincus tweeted that the Lakers “didn’t see value” in Alex Caruso, my stat sheets practically gasped. As someone who tracks defensive impact metrics religiously, letting the NBA’s 98th percentile perimeter defender walk for nothing remains indefensible—luxury tax or not.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Caruso’s 2020-21 season with LAL:
- +4.3 Defensive RAPTOR (top 5% of guards)
- 2.8 Defensive Win Shares (outpacing starters)
- Opponents shot 6.2% worse when guarded by him
Yet somehow, Rob Pelinka’s front office deemed THT (then -1.2 DBPM), Nunn (never known for defense), and Beverley (aging rapidly) worth $28M combined over keeping their championship-tested stopper.
Context Makes It Worse
Remember:
- They paid DeAndre Jordan $2.6M to clap from the bench
- Gave Wayne Ellington minutes over Caruso in 2021
- Later traded a first-round pick to offload Westbrook
As Pincus noted, this reflects systemic evaluation failures—the same mindset that preferred Muscala over Zubac and Westbrook over depth. When your analytics department misses what basic hustle stats show (Caruso led guards in charges drawn three straight years), someone needs new spreadsheets.
The Aftermath Speaks Volumes
Fast forward to 2024:
- Caruso: All-Defense selection with Chicago
- THT/Nunn/Bev: Combined for 3 teams in 18 months
- Lakers: Still searching for perimeter stoppers
The ultimate irony? They’re now paying Gabe Vincent $11M annually to approximate 70% of Caruso’s production. Some lessons are painfully expensive.
DataDunker
Hot comment (1)
Фінансова алхімія Лейкерс
Коли Лейкерс відпустили Карусо, вони не просто втратили захисника - вони винайшли новий вид мистецтва: як перетворити золото на свинець! Їхній фронт-офіс явно грає в якусь альтернативну реальність NBA.
Математика по-лейкерськи
За $28М вони отримали THT (який захищається, як вітальний килимок) та Нанна (що його можна обіграти на одній нозі). А Карусо? Та ж просто топ-5% захисників ліги! Ну де ж тут логіка?
Наслідки - смішніші за комедію
Тепер вони платять Вінсенту $11М за 70% Карусо. Це як купити підробку Gucci за ціну оригіналу! Хтось у Лейкерс явно переплутав Excel з казино. Що скажете, фани? Хто тут ще пам’ятає Зубака?
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