Los Angeles-Frank Vogel called him "one of the favorite people I've coached."

Anthony Davis called him "an important part of what we are doing here."

LeBron James? He just hugged him.

Alex Caruso is still loved by people in Los Angeles, if not for that loving two-minute tribute video or the generous compliments of former teammates and coaches, from being 27 years old This can be clearly seen in the cheers of the Lakers fans at the Staples Center on Monday night when he was introduced to the Chicago Bulls' starting lineup.

As long as the championship banner of the 2019-20 season hangs on the court, Lakers fans seem to focus on Caruso, who is a well-loved member of the team. His first visit as a Lakers opponent did not diminish the warm reception he received from the sold-out crowd.

Entering the night, Caruso is one of the league's steals leaders (averaging 2.5 per game), averaging 8.1 points and 3.8 assists per game. Watching a video of the Bulls, Lakers coach Vogel saw the characteristics of Caruso in Chicago's 9-4 start, especially in defense.

"Just seeing the same Alex," he said. "The defensive side of the ball is very strong. Excellent IQ and offensive versatility. I think his winning habits and winning DNA are an important part of their revival."

Caruso’s relationship with the Bulls coaching staff actually dates back to this summer, when he signed as a free agent in Chicago. When Caruso was selected by Oklahoma City’s G-League affiliate, Billy Donovan was Oklahoma City’s head coach, partly because Donovan was also against him when he was a star at Texas A&M University. Caruso has coached.

Donovan has always liked Caruso's defense and organization of offense. When he was a rookie, the three-pointer percentage was his missing part, but Caruso's three-pointer percentage has increased to 37.3%.

"A lot of people there really think he can't play," Donovan said. "He lost the election, and then worked hard to get into this position."

Of course, the Lakers played a big role in Caruso's rise, making him a two-way contract player before he gained traction on the 15-man roster. But when Caruso reached a sweeter deal with Chicago in the offseason, he fulfilled it-even though he admitted to multiple media that he gave the Lakers a chance to fight back.

Related articles The Bulls beat the Lakers, DeMar DeRozan, and Lonzo Ball regain the power of the Los Angeles Lakers. Weekly reset: In an emergency, the Lakers realign their lineup against the Spurs, Anthony Day Weiss scored 34. Lakers' Taron Horton-Tucker recovered from injury. The Lakers tried to repair the third quarter dilemma in the lineup change. Some people want to see Caruso return to the Lakers this season. His salary will make them pay a higher price in the NBA's luxury tax. Vogel sounded like one of them, but he finally admitted that it is the essence of the NBA for players to keep going for more money.

"How can you not like someone who works like Alex Caruso? He represents all the right things," he said. "But this is a business, and difficult decisions must be made under the upper limit. You want to keep all of your people every year, but this is not always possible. You want your players to play well enough Win a big contract." The Lakers await LeBron's update

There is no clear timetable for James' return to the game, as the 36-year-old player missed the seventh consecutive game due to an abdominal strain. But Vogel said, but when he comes back depends on him.

With back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday and five road trips in the East, the Lakers are unlikely to have a lot of practice in the next few days. But James and his coach will make the best decision-the team calls James' availability "daily."

"We believe he will monitor his progress to get ready for the game again," he said. "So this is almost between Mike Mancias and LeBron and other members of the medical team. And, obviously, as coaches, we will supervise the work. But we believe that they will make wise decisions about this. ." Newsroom guide news tips contact us to report errors

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