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Alex Caruso deserves to make the NBA All-Star team this season, which would make him the first true reserve since Chris Gatling in 1997 who should be an All-Star.
Kevin Durant knows after likely working as hard as he ever has for 25 points Wednesday in the Phoenix Suns 116-115 dramatic overtime victory against the Bulls.
The 6-5 Caruso, who constantly frustrated arguably the best offensive player in the game with rugged ball denial, charges, steals and rushed shots, acknowledged the transcendent seven footer.
“He showed me some love after the game,” Caruso offered somewhat shyly afterward, the sort of diffidence he never displays in the game. “That’s what it’s all about. Part of that is he recognizes I’ve gotten better and I try to make it difficult for him. I love competing against good players.”
But Durant after the game addressing reporters wasn’t shy about his respect for the undrafted former G-leaguer who was a plus-24 in a game the Bulls lost with 19 points and four of five threes.
“A hard worker who is going to do all he can for his teammates,” complimented Durant. “That stuff right there (he does) makes up for a lot of mistakes. Tonight he got his hands on the ball and was able to knock down threes, and that takes him to another level when he’s able to knock down three balls like he did tonight and create off the dribble like he did tonight. He’s a phenomenal player. I don’t want to even call him a role player; he’s a guy you can plug with any lineup and he will make the right reads and right plays on the defensive and offensive side and the Bulls are lucky to have him.”
Because even if the Bulls lost to see their record drop to 3-6, they have to know they’re not about to give up on games thanks to Caruso and his inspirational and intentionally disruptive play.
Like they could have against the Suns after falling behind a stunning 22-4 in the first five and a half minutes.
So what did Bulls coach Billy Donovan do?
He substituted early bringing in Caruso.
Save us, Alex.
And Caruso just about did in immediately finishing off a 14-3 Bulls run with three consecutive three pointers, the third leading to a Suns timeout and the Bulls bench emptying to greet Caruso coming off the court. Caruso simply signaled with three fingers.
Which also could have meant the highly rated Suns had three quarters of trouble to face. And they would despite Durant and Bradley Beal’s first game back after injury. Because it was one remarkable and inexplicable Caruso defensive effort after another, shutting down a Durant last second shot to end the first quarter with the Bulls back in it trailing 36-28. That came after Caruso beat the huge Suns front line to an offensive rebound that set up a Patrick Williams three.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan had to extend Caruso beyond 30 minutes, which he doesn’t like to do given Caruso’s penchant to launch himself toward the ball and opponents. But how else could the Bulls win? Yes, really.
“Alex goes out there and plays all out always,” marveled Zach LaVine. “It’s a privilege to have him on your team for how smart he is and how he sacrifices his body. That’s just how he plays and how he is. The 19 points is a bonus, but him impacting the game is more than that; he does that every night.”
By halftime the score was tied at 57 as Caruso forced Durant into a charge and had a block from behind. And it just went on and on, Durant with six turnovers when he usually averages half that, and down the stretch in regulation Caruso drawing yet another offensive on Durant with the Bulls trailing by two with about five minutes remaining, causing a Durant travel from Caruso’s incessant pestering and that after Caruso faked a pass and drove for a layout score to tie the game at 103 with 3:59 left in regulation. And later Caruso’s defense forced Durant into a miss that could have won the game for the Suns in regulation at the regulation buzzer.
“Everybody can’t do it. You’d see more people doing it if everybody could do it,” DeRozan said of Caruso’s defense. “It’s so much with a guy like Alex, the awareness, the anticipation, the hand speed, understanding angles, shooting gaps, student of the game. There are so many elements that you just don’t see. The last guy that I can remember who was everywhere like that was Tony Allen. You don’t see guys like that. That’s what makes him one of a kind when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. It doesn’t matter how big somebody is he is guarding and how small he is. His attention to detail is incredible. AC is definitely a defensive pest and he knows how to aggravate the best of the best players. His awareness on that defensive end, off the ball, guarding guys who run screen rolls, it’s amazing, amazing.”
Caruso, the bench guy, remained out there the entire overtime, and he wouldn’t let Durant beat the Bulls. And Durant didn’t.
But Nurkić had a pair of big free throws and a driving layup after a steal from Nikola Vučević, and starter Keita Bates-Diop, who you wouldn’t know was in the game before that, cashed in a big three after the Bulls had taken a 113-109 lead with 2:27 left in overtime on…wait for it, a driving banked in Caruso three.
Not for naught, but as Caruso said, “The frustrating part is just losing in general.
“I think my takeaway is we know what we are capable of and it’s about doing it consistently,” he said. “I think we’ve got plenty of talent to win games in this league and be a good team in this league; it’s about being consistent. When we’re on we’re on and it looks really good. But when we’re off as everybody can tell there’s something missing. It’s about going out and making sure we are as consistent as possible and not having lapses on the court.”
You know, how it’s done by Alex Caruso.
Who made just about every big play in the team’s overtime win against Toronto the first week of the season. And leads the team in just about every metric that’s not in the traditional box score, like seasonal plus/minus, success when he’s on the court versus off and impact plays.
The Bulls player who is tied for fifth in scoring, fifth in rebounding and fifth in assists has likely been the most consistently impressive player on the team this season. Like the guy who drowned in water that averaged three feet, you can’t trust the statistics. Seeing is believing.
Especially with Alex Caruso.
“I’m just ready to go to work,” says Caruso. “This is what I show up to do, what I get paid to do. I (feel I’m) a hell of a defensive player. I think I’ve taken strides offensively to be a very good player on that end. So for me I’m confident to go out there and play. This is now seven years experience for me. I’m comfortable playing in the NBA. For me, it’s just about going out there and competing and doing what I love to do, playing basketball.”
Brian Scalabrine said he was, but when you watch Caruso and headband and all, that’s the white mamba.
“Just climbing into their air space,” Caruso explained about his defensive mentality. “A lot of these guys are such good players in the league, you let them have the rhythm and playing on their accord it just turns into a summer workout and drill and they rise up on their spot and shoot. So for me, try to push them off different angles. Just try to get them off their normal looks they see every night. Obviously, I need some help since the guy is seven foot and can shoot every time he wants (the Bulls relentlessly sent traps at Durant). But working early and trying to make it as difficult as possible.
“I have a couple of things,” Caruso continued. “I just love to play basketball, I just love hooping. That’s what I did growing up, at the park, played high school, college, rec center, with my buddies. I’ll play anywhere and am lucky and fortunate enough to have that be my job. To get into the league I had to fight for minutes. Even in LA with Frank (Vogel, now Suns coach) the year we won the ‘chip I had DNP the first night. Had to fight and scrap to get minutes to turn five into 10. And doing those things, playing defense, being spaced right, helping teammates be better, and slowly but surely working on my game and getting more confident offensively. And now I think I’m pretty dynamic both ways, and that’s just an added bonus.”
Sounds like an All-Star to me.
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