During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Alex Caruso made a reputation for himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and he was a crucial component to the Los Angeles Lakers winning the championship during the 2019-20 season.
Now, Alex Caruso is on the Chicago Bulls. He’s coming off the bench and doing the exact same thing that he did in Los Angeles: playing hard-nosed defense and guarding the opponent’s best perimeter player.
An article by K. C. Johnson of NBC Sports featured some words from Alex Caruso that perfectly exemplify his mentality on that end. While Alex Caruso has a little bit of a finishing game and 3PT shot on the offensive end, he’s on the Bulls primarily to play defense against “some of the best players in the world”.
If I finish a game with no fouls, I probably didn’t play hard enough. That’s how I look at it.
That’s just kind of what I do. When they signed me, they didn’t want me to come in and do anything other than what I’m good at. That’s why they brought me here.
I’ve always tried to compete on the ball against some of the best players in the world. Night in and night out, you’re going to be facing somebody who’s really freaking good at basketball. I like playing defense. I like stopping people. I like making guys frustrated.
During his time on the Los Angeles Lakers last year, coach Frank Vogel suggested that Alex Caruso should be considered for an All-Defensive team. While Caruso did not end up getting selected to an All-Defensive team, most who watched him play would consider him a perimeter defender who deserved the honor.
Alex Caruso’s defensive impact will be key for the Chicago Bulls as they attempt to make the playoffs. If there’s one thing that you can rely on from Caruso, it’s consistency on defense, and he will be hounding opposing stars all season long.
