The amount of knowledge that Alex Caruso learned in the King’s Dojo was immeasurable.
What the Bulls guard took most from LeBron James, however, was understanding the details. Not only in film study, but in-game tendencies. The Lakers thrived in that department, and Caruso considered him a star pupil.
That’s why the last two Bulls games have given him hope.
In both instances, the defense was front-and-center in scrambling to win the game. Whether it was a simple deflection to mess up the timing of the possession, a simple rotation into the passing lane to give the opposing playmaker pause, or selling out to steal the ball, it was a focus on the details that this Bulls team just doesn’t show enough.
And while it led to a win against Detroit and a loss to Cleveland, it was something to build on. Teaching moments that this group continued needing on that side of the basketball.
“It’s just about being on point with your communication and your rotations, closeouts, little things like that, and just covering for each other,’’ Caruso said. “I think we’ve shown several times this year that when we do it at a high level we’re a really, really good team. It’s just a consistency thing, though.
“I mean look at that first half [against the Cavs on Saturday], we had a group of guys out there and we allowed them to extend it out to 10 because we were a little lazy with [the defense]. I was on the court, and then we had another spurt where they extended it out to 10 again, so we had to keep fighting back, fighting back. We’re just trying to be consistent. We have to limit those spurts. That’s what’s going to win out over time.’’
It definitely did against Detroit on Friday, after the nine-win Pistons tied the game up with just over five minutes left.
First there was a Patrick Williams steal, then the Bulls forcing the young Pistons into a shot-clock violation, Caruso then blocked a Jaden Ivey three-point attempt, and forced Bojan Bogdanovic to turn the ball over by stepping out of bounds.
That tie game quickly turned into a Bulls 12-point lead, as they went on to beat the Pistons by 14.
Fast forward to the game with the Cavs, this time facing a five-point deficit with just under five minutes left.
There was an Ayo Dosunmu steal, a steal by Nikola Vucevic, and then Caruso getting into the thievery with a steal of his own.
Dosunmu nabbed another Donovan Mitchell pass, and after DeMar DeRozan made the driving layup with 29 seconds left, the Bulls were down just one.
A clutch stop on a Caris LeVert missed jumper gave the Bulls the opportunity to win the game, but DeRozan’s 15-footer over a double team missed.
“We’re not going to be perfect on the defensive end,’’ Caruso said. “But if you have the right intentions you can erase deficits like that and at least give yourself a chance to win the game.’’
And that’s all Caruso is asking for.
Keeping up that frenetic pace for 48 minutes is absolutely unrealistic for an NBA team, but limiting the defensive lapses the Bulls seem to have far too often is not a big ask.
That’s what Caruso would like to see. There are valuable lessons to be learned the last two games, and the veteran guard was hoping for some staying power.
“I think we have the right intentions with it,’’ Caruso said. “Obviously we’re not doing it every single possession, but I don’t think that anyone in the league is capable of that. Coaches have put us in a good spot. It’s about taking the information they give us and executing it on the floor. Like I said, the details.
“We’ve shown that could lead to some good things.’’
