Alex Caruso’s Return Will Show His Massive Worth To Chicago Bulls

One of the major questions surrounding the Chicago Bulls heading into the 2021-22 season was if they would be able to play enough defense to win games. The Bulls’ star trio of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic isn’t exactly known for their defense prowess, so other players around them must pick up the slack.

Alex Caruso was one of the players who did just that in the beginning of the season, along with fellow guard Lonzo Ball. With Caruso and Ball wreaking havoc on the perimeter, Chicago even boasted a top-10 defense early on.

Unfortunately, Caruso has been out of the lineup essentially since late December, with two games in January thrown in there before Grayson Allen’s dirty hit broke his wrist and knocked him out of the lineup for an extended period. Caruso’s injury, in conjunction with Ball’s knee injury, has nuked the Bulls’ previously stellar defense, resulting in a team that has puttered around mediocrity for a couple of months now. After leading the Eastern Conference for a good chunk of the season, Chicago is down to fourth heading into play Wednesday.

However, Wednesday did bring good news: Caruso has finally been cleared for contact, making his return to the floor imminent. While Bulls head coach Billy Donovan isn’t sure exactly when Caruso will be able to play in a game, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, there’s hope he could practice Friday.

“In talking to Alex, the biggest thing he is going to have to overcome is just his strength. The passing. The shooting. He’s been dribbling a week to 10 days now. But he’s been laid up for a pretty long period of time so once he gets that back, that will have a lot to do with (his return).”

Chicago desperately needs Caruso back in the lineup. Since the 28-year-old broke his wrist against the Bucks on Jan. 21, the Bulls are 11-10 with a 116.8 defensive rating, per NBA.com, which is 26th in the NBA. DeMar DeRozan’s historic offensive exploits sparked a six-game winning streak during this stretch, but the defense has totally cratered and has played a key role in a five-game losing streak heading into Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. Going back to Dec. 20 when Caruso sprained his left foot, that defensive rating is only slightly better at 115.6, and the two games he played in January were strong defensive performances to boost that number.

It has been about half a season of bad defensive basketball for the Bulls without Caruso, a testament to just how much he means to this roster. In his 775 minutes on the court in 2021-22, Chicago’s defensive rating is a puny 102.0. It’s 114.4 with him on the bench.

Chicago was able to pry Caruso away from the Los Angeles Lakers using the mid-level exception this past offseason, but his impact when he has played shows a player worth much more than that. Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas should send a gift basket to the Lakers for not paying up to keep him, which was a terrible decision that has come back to bite them after he helped them win a title in 2020. LeBron James supposedly “badly” wanted Caruso back, per Marc Stein, but it didn’t happen due to luxury tax concerns. Chicago certainly isn’t complaining.

In addition to Caruso’s impending return, second-year forward Patrick Williams was cleared for limited contact after he broke his wrist in October. Ball will hopefully be back later this month or in early April before the playoffs. While it remains to be seen just how effective all these players will be coming back from long-term absences, they will undoubtedly make the Bulls a more complete team again, which will make them more dangerous come playoff time.