“We Have an Old Team”: Alex Caruso Shares His Views on NBA’s Dec 22 Start Date

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the NBA. After having the previous season delayed, the NBA brought franchises to the Orlando Bubble. The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship in October, defeating the Miami Heat in six games. Now, news has emerged that the NBA and the NBPA have agreed to begin the new season on December 22, in order to ensure revenue does not reduce significantly.

Lakers’ point guard Alex Caruso spoke to JJ Reddick for his podcast. On the subject of coming back, Caruso said that he personally doesn’t have problems with returning soon.

“I don’t know if I really have an opinion. I’m still relatively young from an NBA career standpoint. I’ve had one playoff run, and I spent the first two years of my career playing on a two-way (contract) and I only really played one-third of a season each year. So my body feels pretty good, I think the turnaround in December for me is not going to be a big deal.” 

However, Caruso mentioned that while he feels good, the older members in the squad such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis must be considered. “But yeah, like you said, we have an old team, and we still have to figure out if we can bring a couple of guys back. LeBron is LeBron, AD is AD, you have to make sure they’re healthy and can sustain a full season.”

Alex Caruso would like more off-time

The Lakers’ fan-favorite did reveal that he understands both sides of the argument on bringing the season back early. “People are worried about getting back for TV time and stuff like that. It’s like ‘well, you can bring us back early but that doesn’t mean everyone is going to play’. It’s the double-edged sword.

“Some teams have been out for eight months, some have been done for three weeks. It’s just the craziness of what’s going on. Obviously, There’s not going to be a right answer, someone is going to be p*ssed one way or another. You can’t make everyone happy.”

While Caruso said that he feels good going into the new season, he would have wanted some more time to rest and relax. He said, “For me, it’d be nice to have a little break. You do get a little worn-down playing that much basketball, but we did have a two-month break going through COVID.

“So if we could turn around quick, I think I’d be alright. I’m also a person who just goes with the flow anyway, so whatever they say I’m going to do. Just show up when I need to show up.”

Caruso and the Lakers will play the Los Angeles Clippers on the opening night of the 2020-21 NBA season. With the agreement in place, league officials must create their complete plan for the full season.