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The thing that has endeared Chicago Bulls fans to Alex Caruso is his willingness to lay it all on the line – night in and night out. A 6-foot-5 former undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M came to the Bulls with bonafide championship credentials having helped the Los Angeles Lakers secure their 16th title in franchise history.
He now hopes to help lead the Bulls to their seventh title.
That quest continues this season amid a few notable changes around him. The Bulls will be starting the season without starting point guard Lonzo Ball with hopes of getting back after New Year’s – the inverse of last season’s collapse.
While there was a vacancy created by Ball’s injury, Caruso was content to remain in his versatile role and he is taking a similar approach to a lofty accolade.
Caruso’s All-Defense Candidacy
Last season, the Bulls posted a plus-9.8 net rating with both Ball and Caruso on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. But that lasted fewer than 1000 possessions. Still, they were able to post a plus-2.7 net rating with just the latter. Even then, they only got 41 games – exactly half of the season – out of Caruso as he battled through a litany of injuries.
He worked to strengthen his lower body this summer so he should have a good chance at securing one of the coveted All-Defensive selections at the end of the season, right?
“It’d be nice,” Caruso told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I don’t think it’s something I go into each game and each day thinking about. But I think it’s something that maybe through the process of how I play and the intangibles that I bring to this team and the things I need to provide for us to be a good team, there’s a chance. A lot of that comes with a little bit of team success too. If I play well and the team plays well, usually guys get recognition.”
He finished 10th in the voting last season despite his truncated campaign.
Caruso told Johnson that his defensive prowess was just something that was “in my DNA”.
“Most of the good players in the league know when they play the team I’m on, I’m usually going to be their assignment. I wouldn’t say they think it’s going to be easy. Whether they respect me or not, that’s for them to say. But I think they know they’re going to have to work that night.”
Despite knowing full well what he brings to the table, Caruso chose to lean into his role as a closer this preseason.
Caruso’s Self-Awareness
There was some debate when the Bulls were still deciding who would take the reigns at starting point guard with Ball out to start the season. While Caruso was considered an option, it was quickly pointed out that he has just one season with at least 60 appearances in his five-year career.
He did appear in 58 games during his final season with the Lakers but durability was a big focus for him this offseason.
Caruso, predominantly a bench player his entire career, won’t fret over not starting.
Last season, the Bulls Bulls went 24-17 with Caruso in the lineup. They were just two games worse without him but his injury came amid a slew of them for the Bulls as a whole last season.
Hopefully, for the Bulls’ sake, Caruso’s efforts to improve his durability can pay off and he can stay on the floor this season.
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