It was a nice plan.
Then again, Bulls guard Alex Caruso was full of solid ideas on media day a month ago, especially when he was asked about protecting himself from himself.
‘‘I’ve definitely got to be maybe smarter,’’ Caruso said then. ‘‘Maybe a 50/50 ball that’s going out of bounds, you might let one or two go out and save it for the postseason. But I say that now, sitting in front of a microphone. When I get out there, it might be different.’’
It always has been with Caruso. That’s why coach Billy Donovan said Monday that while Caruso doesn’t have a minutes restriction, he is being watched closely each game.
‘‘I think one of the things that’s been a little challenging for him is his minutes have greatly increased [with the Bulls] than they had been,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘We’ve got to make sure that he’s productive in his minutes, and the way he plays, he’s reckless. And I say that in a very complimentary way.
‘‘He puts himself into the game, and he’s probably going to be susceptible to these types of things. We have to watch him. When he starts getting up in the 30-plus minutes over a period of time, I think that’s a big toll on him. Because generally his loads, even for his number of minutes, are high because of how much he exerts in a game.’’
And Caruso’s minutes have a history of determining the outcome of games.
In games Caruso played and the Bulls won last season, he averaged 27.5 minutes; in games he played and the Bulls lost, it was 28.6 minutes. It was like that with the Lakers during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, too.
The way Donovan sees it, he must strike a balance to make sure Caruso plays with fire but not keep him on the court for too long to allow that fire to burn out. Or, worse, for him to injure himself.
‘‘That’s what got me here,’’ Caruso said of playing with intensity. ‘‘That’s why the Bulls want me on the team. That’s why Billy loves what I do with my energy and my defense and how I bring other guys along. I don’t think I can change that.’’
Donovan doesn’t, either. That’s why he snickered when he was reminded of what Caruso said in September about playing with less reckless abandon.
‘‘I mean, that sounds good, but I think if there’s a loose ball, he’s not going to sit there and say, ‘This is probably one I’m not going to go after,’ ’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I want him to be who he is. He plays the game all-out, and he’s going to give you everything he has.’’
Numbers game
In the Bulls’ first two games, Donovan went only 10 deep into his rotation. That changed Saturday because guard Zach LaVine returned to the starting lineup and because Donovan was able to get forward Derrick Jones Jr. some playing time.
How long that will continue is unknown. But with the medical staff monitoring minutes early in the season and forward Patrick Williams struggling, Donovan told Jones he had better stay ready.
‘‘We’re just trying to find different combinations of guys that . . . play well,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘[Jones has] been a total pro with the way he’s handled himself.’’
