Texas A&M Basketball

WATCH: Alex Caruso starts in place of Lonzo Ball, dominates

July 11, 2017
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After Lonzo Ball was ruled out of tonight's NBA Summer League game with of a groin injury, a name you might recognize took his place in the Lakers' starting lineup: former Texas A&M guard/ball boy/legend Alex Caruso.

Caruso didn't get much of a warning that he'd be starting in place of Ball, but it didn't seem to matter. He put on a show against the Sacramento Kings' shiny new draft pick, De'Aaron Fox, with a vintage Caruso game: 18 points (7-9 FG, 4-5 3PT), 9 assists, 4 steals, 4 rebounds and a block.



Next, he won the postgame.


And last, but not least, fans on social media greatly enjoyed themselves.

When it was announced that Ball would sit out, De'Aaron Fox apparently criticized him via Twitter emoji (my personal favorite type of criticism) and then deleted said emoji tweet. So when a guy most people had never heard of — our beloved AC Fresh — torched Fox all night, Twitter had a grand old time with it.








Hey woah, too far @BasedChasen. Too far.

Gig 'em, AC.

Discussion from...

WATCH: Alex Caruso starts in place of Lonzo Ball, dominates

49,056 Views | 10 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by AgGrad99
Pumpkinhead
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8:13a, 7/11/17
AG
Cross my fingers that we see some kind of 'Carusanity' moment in the NBA a few years from now, with Caruso breaking the mold for 40 year old white truck drivers playing point guard in the NBA like Jeremy Lin did for Asians.
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Morpholino
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8:56a, 7/11/17
p-wonk01
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9:11a, 7/11/17
AG
Quote:
Caruso is the guy who shows up to noonball, gets picked last and roasts everyone's ass

Perfect quote for Alex. Here's to making a squad and surprising more people!
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PJYoung
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9:27a, 7/11/17
AG
That was fun to watch.
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agfan1030
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9:38a, 7/11/17
Just what I needed for the summer lack of Aggie bball. What a game for Alex! DOMINATED.....
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Pumpkinhead
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9:42a, 7/11/17
AG
http://www.sportingnews.com/au/nba-au/news/alex-caruso-starts-in-place-of-lonzo-ball-and-puts-on-a-show-for-the-lakers/1x2lg5egzjhq21je758gsooaoo

Quote:
Ball who wanted to play but was held out as a precaution sat out due to a sore right groin. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Alex Caruso, who took advantage of this platform by endearing himself to Lakers fans with several game-changing plays.

Caruso finished the night with 18 points, nine assists and four steals, leading the Lakers to a 95-92 win.
"Stories like this game right here is what Summer League is about," said Blue, who played last season for the NBA G League's Oklahoma City Blue.

And everybody wanted to be part of Caruso's story, as he said his phone was receiving endless notifications from Lakers fans trying to contact him on Instagram after the game.

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AgGrad99
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11:26a, 7/11/17
AG
Couple questions....

When/How did he move from OKC to LA?

When can other teams poach him? Do they have to wait until rosters are set? As much as I want him to do well in LA, it doesnt look like he'll get much of an opportunity with their roster the way it is.
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VikingNik
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11:47a, 7/11/17
AG
He keeps having games like that and he will make a team. Great highlights.
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Pumpkinhead
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In reply to AgGrad99 • 12:15p, 7/11/17
AG
AgGrad99 said:
Couple questions....

When/How did he move from OKC to LA?

When can other teams poach him? Do they have to wait until rosters are set? As much as I want him to do well in LA, it doesnt look like he'll get much of an opportunity with their roster the way it is.
It is not always about who you play for in summer league, but which eyes you open with your play.

He is an unsigned free agent so any team could offer him a contract to join their Fall training camp roster, and Alex could choose the training camp invite (if multiple) that he felt was the best fit for him.

Now right now, playing in summer league, I believe Alex is only getting a per diem of like $150 per day or something like that. To cover hotel, food, and travel expenses.

If he gets a training camp invite, I think there is still the per diem compensation but also typically a bonus of like $2,000 per week in camp compensation (for roughly 4 weeks). If a team wants to actually lock up Caruso a little tighter, they might offer him some sort of contract with some portion guaranteed.

Teams are allowed to carry a maximum of 20 players on their roster from July until October 26th. So if Caruso makes it to a training camp invite, he'd then have to try his best to actually stick on that team's roster for the regular season. If he didn't stick, then you'd typically see him go down and play for the D-League club that is affiliated with that team.

http://hoopshype.com/2015/08/02/the-life-of-the-non-guaranteed-player/
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AgGrad99
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12:45p, 7/11/17
AG
So how does him being on the Lakers summer league team work?

Was he cut from OKC, or was his D-League contract for just one season? I assume the Lakers invited him? What does that get them if he's completely unrestricted?

in any case, I'm glad to hear he can take an invite wherever he has the best opportunity.
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