It’s really hard to believe that the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the NBA Championship in 2020, is really the same team that not many believe will even make the playoffs next season.
Well, to be honest, apart from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, each player from the 2020 NBA Championship winning squad have either been traded or has left the team. Yes, you read that right, LBJ and AD are the only players remaining on the Lakers roster who won the NBA title just two seasons ago.
Considering that it’s really shocking that the Lakers have let go of their entire roster apart from their superstars. While each player played a crucial role in helping the Lakers win the title, one player who the Lakers fans miss the most is arguably Alex Caruso.
After playing in the G League for a lot of years, Alex Caruso broke onto the scene in 2017 when the Lakers finally decided to give him an opportunity. Well, that decision turned out to be simply sensational for the Lakers.
Caruso quickly got adjusted to the team and made a name for himself with his amazing defense and occasional athletic dunks. As a result, most fans were shocked when the Lakers decided to let go of him and stay with Talen Horton-Tucker in 2021.
Even after making that call, the Lakers have now traded THT and Stanley Johnson in exchange for Patrick Beverley. NBA analyst and writer for Silver Screen and Roll, Anthony F. Irwin, recently pointed this out. He tweeted out that the Lakers ultimately settled for a worse version of Caruso by trading for Pat Bev.
Choosing THT over Caruso and then trading THT and Stanley for a worse Caruso is a pretty decent summary of Pelinka's tenure.
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) August 25, 2022
“Choosing THT over Caruso and then trading THT and Stanley for a worse Caruso is a pretty decent summary of Pelinka’s tenure.”
The NBA writer was seemingly calling out Lakers executive Rob Pelinka for questionable decisions throughout his career.
But Pat Bev was caught in the crossfire of the writer’s tweet. During his tenure with the Lakers, Caruso helped the team win the NBA Championship. Can Patrick Beverley do the same? We will have to wait and watch when the new season begins.
