Sixty seconds against the Cavaliers was all it took for Alex Caruso to show why the Chicago Bulls missed him so much. The guard returned to action on Wednesday against Cleveland after being sidelined since December 20. It was a triumphant return for Caruso as he helped the Bulls snap a four-game losing streak.
Caruso has been a revelation for the Bulls this season. His qualities don’t alway show up on the boxscore but real fans know his worth – just ask any Lakers supporter. Caruso balled out in November against his former team despite not scoring a single point. The tireless guard finished with an incredible plus/minus of +28, the second highest in the game behind Zach Lavine.
It’s the little things that Caruso does well that makes him such an effective player. Teammates can always depend on him to knock down a shot or drive to the rim. Defensively he’s a pest, frustrating opponents with his mixture of hustle and smart defense. He led the league in steals prior to his injury and is currently sixth in the league for deflections.
In a span of less than sixty seconds, Caruso was able to highlight what he brings to the Bulls and how they’re better for it.
Caruso knocks down the corner three
3rd Quarter – 3:02
Alex Caruso is averaging a career-high 1.1 three-pointers per game this season. He isn’t afraid to let it fly from deep and certainly was not going to turn down an open corner look.
Draws the foul by fighting the screen
3rd Quarter – 2:50
It seems like fighting the screen is a lost art these days. Most players prefer to switch or go under the screen. Not so for Alex Caruso. The Bulls guard did his best to stay with Darius Garland, fighting past Jarrett Allen’s screen before drawing the offensive foul.
Executes the pick and pop
3rd Quarter – 2:34
The next possession sees Caruso make the most of a screen by Vucevic. He gets enough space between himself and his defender to explode to the basket for the easy two.
Caruso pulls the chair from under Kevin Love
3rd Quarter – 2:13
Alex Caruso dug up the old “pulling the chair” trick in a defensive mismatch with Kevin Love. It’s a smart and effective play that is rarely used. Caruso lulled Love into thinking he could back him down into the paint before swiftly pulling the chair and forcing a travel.
And just like that, Caruso showed his worth on both ends of the basketball court in less than sixty seconds (49 seconds to be exact) of play. Many fans believe DeMar DeRozan to be the signing of the summer but given how Caruso has performed this season, he’s certainly the steal of the summer.
