Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso discusses his injuries and off-season plans on the Pat McAfee Show.
With the Chicago Bulls eliminated from playoff contention, it’s been a while since Bulls fans have had to hear about injuries. Yesterday, Alex Caruso joined the Pat McAfee Show and discussed things around the NBA. Toward the end of the interview, he discussed his health and plans for the off-season.
When asked how his foot has healed, Caruso said, “Mostly, I have a few tests to see if everything is a 100%.” It already sounds like Caruso is close to full strength since he mentioned playing a few games of basketball this past weekend.
Caruso was asked what improvements he focused on last off-season. He said he was focused on his health to hit his career high in games. While his health wasn’t perfect this year Caruso played the most games in a season in his career. He did by playing in 67 games nine higher than his career-high. Caruso was the heart and soul of the Bulls’ wing defense. With Lonzo Ball out all year and Ayo Dosunmu’s growth stagnant, just Caruso being there more often was the prime reason the Bulls finished 5th in the league at a 111.5 defensive rating.
During the discussion, Caruso shared that he spent the previous offseason honing his offensive skills beyond the arc. According to him, catching and shooting from the corners is crucial since that’s where the big players tend to be during crucial moments of the game.
It’s evident that Caruso’s hard work paid off since LaVine and DeRozan had a lot of faith in his ability to shoot three-pointers. This season, Caruso’s shot volume from the corner increased by over 50%, with him attempting 75 shots compared to last year’s 49. Additionally, the overall percentage of corner three-pointers went up by almost 2%. However, Caruso needs to maintain his performance if the Bulls’ offense is to remain competitive.
On his plans, this off-season, Caruso said, “This year probably being able to play off pivots and play slower in the paint. Maybe try and learn to draw some more fouls and get some free throws ’cause I shoot those well.” This a good area to focus on since the Bulls have limited cap room and no incoming picks.
The Bulls will have a very similar undersized lineup. Caruso found himself on and being guarded by a lot of power forwards. If he can hold his own in the paint and get guys in the air he can easily draw more fouls. As an 80.8% free throw shooter last year, more volume could make the Bulls avoid close finishes.
While the Bull will try to make moves this off-season, it would be hard to see them move on from Caruso. He is the one player that has shown consistent improvement and is a presence in the Bulls locker room.
