It’s more than a small sample size or just coincidence.
Life on defense for the Bulls is much more difficult without Alex Caruso active and playing.
The eye test has shown that, and the numbers have proven that.
Big picture?
The Bulls are 18-8 in games Caruso has played and 9-7 in the games he’s missed. In the last 13 games in which Caruso was sidelined, the defense has ranked 24th overall.
Then there’s what he means to the scoreboard. The Bulls hold the opposition to 105.7 points per game with Caruso, and allow 113.7 points per game when he’s in street clothes.
So basically they would rank eighth in the league in points allowed with Caruso and tied for 28th without him. They entered Tuesday sitting at 17th overall, allowing 109 points per game.
Any questions on who the team’s defensive player of the year has been at the halfway point?
There’s a strong argument to be made that not only has Caruso been the best defender on this roster, but also the leading candidate for Bulls Sixth-Man Award.
He’s started nine games — Bulls are 7-2 in his starts — but his main role is coming off the bench and finishing games.
That’s why there is a growing excitement for his likely Wednesday return, even under the cloud of minutes restrictions after being sidelined for almost a month.
Coach Billy Donovan knows the value Caruso brings, not only to the court but to the team’s swagger. All-Stars like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan seem to play with more freedom, knowing they have a guy that embraces doing all the dirty work next to them.
Heck, when selecting the team MVP with the season halfway finished, Caruso wouldn’t win it, but he’s definitely earned some votes.
Not the only Bulls player to do so.
Team MVP: DeRozan – LaVine would finish second to his veteran teammate, and really couldn’t put up much of a debate.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo has stolen DeRozan’s crown as the “King of the Fourth” in the last week, not only scoring more in the final stanza — 8.4 points per fourth to DeRozan’s 7.7 — but has done so at a higher clip, shooting 55.7% in the fourth to DeRozan’s 53.2%.
LaVine was ninth in overall points in that final quarter, which isn’t too shabby, to go along with shooting 50.7% from the field.
Overall, there’s not one major stat that LaVine has bragging rights over DeRozan in, besides three-point percentage and free throw percentage.
Then there’s the attributes DeRozan has brought to the locker room, making it a culture in which players care about wins over their own individual success.
Surprise Player of the Year: Ayo Dosunmu – Being a standout at Illinois was expected to be much different than bringing instant energy to a conference-leading NBA team, but that’s exactly what Dosunmu has done.
There’s more than a handful of rookies who have much better stats than Dosunmu, but he’s proving to be a big-moment player for a very good team.
Not bad for a second-round pick.
Win of the Year: Beating Brooklyn 111-107 on Dec. 4 – Sure, the Nets didn’t have Kyrie Irving, but for three quarters it looked like it wouldn’t matter. Then DeRozan and LaVine happened in the fourth, to go along with some key defensive stops.
The Bulls had been opening eyes in Chicago prior to that comeback victory, but it was a performance that seemed to announce their arrival nationally.
