The Bulls are a completely different defense when Caruso is on the floor, and while he still has some steps to complete in order to return from right wrist surgery, a big one comes next week when he starts dribbling and shooting.
The numbers have been well documented.
But there’s a bottom line for the Bulls with a healthy Alex Caruso. When the combo guard was in uniform and his usual disruptive self, the team’s defensive rating was near the top of the league. Without Caruso, the Bulls defense was the second worst.
Very few players around the Association have been that impactful this season.
The problem was Caruso hasn’t been able to play in a game since Jan. 21, when Milwaukee’s Grayson Allen decided to play bouncer and turn a Caruso lay-up attempt into something out of an All-Elite Wrestling pay-per-view.
The hope is that changes next week, as Caruso takes the next big step in his comeback.
“Early this upcoming week, after the weekend, it will be a big to get him on the floor, start that [process],’’ coach Billy Donovan said on Saturday. “Get him to start doing things with the basketball. He’s really worked hard on his conditioning every day, and he really pushes himself and takes himself to exhaustion. I don’t really worry about his physical fitness. He’s really detailed with that.’’
That doesn’t mean Caruso is a sure thing to return in the next few weeks by any means. He’ll still have his basketball activities to build up on, but also a medical evaluation to pass to make sure the surgically repaired wrist was healed correctly.
“The biggest thing will be once he gets a ball in his hand, it’s finding his rhythm, shooting again,’’ Donovan said. “He hasn’t been able to do any of that stuff. We’re really hopeful that early next week he can get on the floor and start to do those types of things.’’
When Caruso is ready to return, he’ll obviously be on a minutes restriction, but as Donovan pointed out, the development of rookie Ayo Dosunmu while Caruso and Lonzo Ball (knee surgery) have been sidelined would benefit both the team and Dosunmu.
Allowing Caruso to ease back into his role as defensive stopper, while Dosunmu continues to do what he’s been doing on that side of the ball was what Donovan was talking about.
The LaVine plan
Before Zach LaVine went to Los Angeles to see a specialist about his left knee soreness two weeks ago, the Bulls were thinking that they would keep an eye on his playing time the rest of the regular season, which included sitting out the back end of back-to-backs.
That’s not necessarily the case now, however.
Donovan said it’s about communication with all the parties involved, and taking it by a game-by-game, day-by-day situation.
“With him it’s always been the next day, so I check in with him the next day,’’ Donovan said. “[LaVine] felt really, really good [after the Hawks game]. He and I have talked about going forward with the schedule, with back-to-backs, those types of things. It’s going to be something to see how he’s feeling. That’s really the biggest thing. We haven’t mapped out on the calendar games if it’s back-to-back he’s going to play the front of the back of it. It’s all going to come down to how he feels.
“The one thing that’s evident with Zach is he’s a competitive guy and he wants to play. Between the medical people here, the medical people in California, they’re all in close contact, and Zach’s the one that’s giving the feedback of how he’s doing and right now he’s feeling pretty good.’’