Among the Chicago Bulls' most important offseason signings, Alex Caruso is likely to come in third. However, through Chicago's first few games, Caruso was no less influential on the team than Lonzo Ball and DeMar deRozan.
In the 2021-22 season, the Bulls desperately need defensive champions from the outside. Caruso is the option. He has great defensive skills and is good at steals. If the Chicagoans want to make the playoffs this season, they need to make a difference defensively.
Last summer, the Los Angeles Lakers faced a tough choice. Due to salary cap restrictions, the Lakers had to decide between a contract extension of Caruso or Taryn Horton Tucker. They chose the latter, allowing the Bulls to get Caruso.
Chicago signed a four-year, $37 million contract with Caruso. The move reflects the Bulls' management's confidence in Caruso.
Ahead of last season's trade deadline, the Bulls made a bombshell trade to get star Nikola Vucevic. But the deal didn't pay off directly for the Bulls, who still didn't make it to the playoffs. Offseason, the Bulls became more active. Consecutive signings for Ball and DeRozan have given the Bulls two more key players in the core lineup of Vucevic and Zach Lavin.
Caruso's signing has never been as grand as the signing of Ball and DeRozan. Still, Caruso showed his worth. Caruso has had a transformative impact on the Bulls' team defense.
According to official website data, Caruso's defensive number per game (4.8 times) is tied for the first place in the NBA, and the number of steals per game (3.3 times) is also tied for second place.
Last season, Chicago ranked 24th in the NBA for forcing mistakes. Currently, in the opening few games of the new season, the Bulls have caused 19.5 turnovers per game, which is third in the league.
However, Caruso's defensive improvement against the Bulls went far beyond that. The 27-year-old communicates effectively with his teammates on the defensive end and directs teammates to switch and make up positions when necessary. The Bulls' rotation has become clearer.
Caruso also has good intuition when it comes to assisting defense. As Vucevic and other frontcourt teammates moved to the weak side, he sank into the paint to help them defend, forcing opponents to make tough decisions and sometimes forcing them to make mistakes.
Chicago's team defense looked capable at the beginning of the year. Ranked second in the league in the early defensive rating (97.9). Whether the Bulls can maintain this high level on the defensive end will be known in the coming weeks. By November, Bulls fans will see the real strength of this team.
The Season began with the Bulls' schedule relatively easy, twice against the Detroit Pistons, as well as against the New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors. In the coming weeks, the Bulls' schedule will be significantly more difficult.
At the end of October, the Bulls will face the Utah Jazz. In November, the Bulls first took on the Boston Celtics. Then, from Nov. 3 to Nov. 21, they will face the Philadelphia 76ers (twice), the Brooklyn Nets, the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Denver Nuggets, and the Knicks. It's been a tough month, especially considering LaVine is currently with a thumb injury and sticking to the game.
Defense is a surprise Caruso and the Bulls have given fans this season. But the next dozen or so games were against teams with more offensive firepower, and it was an opportunity for Chicago to test its strength.