ORLANDO – Billy Donovan mockingly pushed the final box score off to the side.
That’s usually a good practice for the Bulls coach when discussing what Alex Caruso does.
It’s not there in black and white, and it’s not something novice watchers of the game pick up on. There’s dirt under Caruso’s nails when the final horn sounds most nights, even if it can’t be seen.
“He’s one of those classic guys that if you’re watching the game and you really understand the game, then you look at the stat sheet, you’re like, ‘You know what, don’t tell me about the stat sheet. That guy impacts the game, he impacts winning,’ ‘’ Donovan said of his guard. “To me the stat sheet never really tells the story about the guys that are really impacting the outcome of the game with different things they do.’’
And there’s no doubt that Caruso is a different cat, capable of doing those different things for the Bulls.
Here’s just a glance at what he means when he’s on the floor this season: The Bulls have a top five defensive rating of 110.7 when Caruso is playing, and when he’s not that rating drops to 116.8 – near the bottom of the league.
He’s first in plus/minus at plus-117, with the next closest being Javonte Green at plus-55.
Caruso is second in the league in defensive box plus/minus with a 3.4 rating, his 164 deflections are second to only Toronto’s O.G. Anunoby, and he averages 1.7 steals per game.
All of that was felt in the win over the Magic on Saturday, even with a very pedestrian-looking box score of seven points and two steals.
Whether it was a deflection or just physically getting into Orlando’s ball-handlers, possession after possession was disrupted by Caruso.
“That’s kind of what I try to do every night,’’ Caruso said. “Some nights I’m just a little better at it than others.’’
What does that truly mean to the Bulls right now?
Considering where they are in the standings and what the expectations were, it means everything.
That’s why a member of the organization shot down the idea of Caruso being on the trading block like one report recently said.
In fact, when the Bulls have received calls on Caruso, the asking price has been so astronomical, it reiterated a Sun-Times report that Caruso is basically deemed untouchable.
“He’s the culture,’’ one source said. Actually, not a bad nickname for Caruso, considering his hustle plays are often plastered throughout the game film.
“High-IQ, knows what’s happening, what’s coming, what he’s going to do, where his man is, is he going over, under?’’ Donovan said. “He really reacts pretty spontaneously and he has such a good feel for it. And then like we’ve all talked about, he throws his body into everything all the time.’’
What he won’t throw himself into? Concerns that he’s a trade piece.
“They also said I was getting traded in December,’’ Caruso said of the rumor mill. “I lived in LA for four years [playing for the Lakers], and that’s kind of what happens there. You just play basketball games and be a good teammate until something changes, and if nothing changes you just keep doing what you’re doing.’’
That’s also why Caruso has no plans to take advantage of the open-door policy of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, and find out where he stands as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches.
“No, because I came into the league just hoping to be on a team, so for me just being part of a team is good enough, wherever that is,’’ Caruso said. “Obviously I want to keep wearing the red and white, I love my teammates here, the city, and I’m going to give all I can to whatever team I’m on. It’s just kind of my MO.’’
And why he’s so valuable to the Bulls. No matter what the box score reads.
