Alex Caruso felt he deserved to be recognized as one of the top defenders in the NBA. And the 100 media members who voted on the NBA All-Defensive teams agreed.
Caruso, the main engine for the Chicago Bulls' top-five defense, earned the honor for the first time in his six-year career. He drew 50 first- and 25 second-team votes to finish with 125 points and land on the first team.
"Coming from a spot where I was undrafted and teams didn’t think I was good enough to be in the league to being, in my eyes, one of the best defenders in the league, we’ll see what other people think,” Caruso said in an interview before the Bulls' play-in victory over the Toronto Raptors. “But I’m really proud of how much work I’ve put in and the growth I’ve had to get to this point.
“There are a lot of good defenders in the league. It’s a tough list to make, especially being a guard and only four spots. But I think I am (worthy).”
Caruso played in a career-high 67 games, led the league in deflections per 36 minutes at 5.2 and finished 10th in charges drawn per game. The Bulls allowed 106.6 points per 100 possessions with Caruso on the floor and 113.1 points per 100 possessions with him off it.
Beyond numbers, though, Caruso's versatility, IQ and toughness helped the Bulls surprisingly finish fifth in defensive rating. an achievement made even more notable by the season-long absence of Lonzo Ball. Caruso's defensive performance in the Bulls' play-in victory over the Raptors featured three steals and three blocks and the overall intensity and disruption that defined so many of his games this season.
"This is kind of my time of year,” Caruso said that night in Toronto. “This is why I play basketball in the NBA, for games late in the year where details and discipline matter. And being able to compete at a high level for 48 minutes. I just didn’t want to lose. When you have that edge, you tend to make plays.”
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Caruso made them consistently all season. Even better for the Bulls, he moved to start at power forward after the arrival of Patrick Beverley. This solidified the starting lineup and allowed Patrick Williams to move to the second unit, where the third-year forward found a rhythm and aggressiveness playing with other young players like Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.
While Caruso often ceded size in various matchups, he used intangibles to often fare well---and still showcased his versatility by taking on different assignments within games.
"That’s where I think some of the intangibles I have---being tough, being able to compete---really carry me. Because obviously physically with some of those bigger matchups, I’m a little overwhelmed statistically speaking,” Caruso said. “I try to be smart and use the court to my advantage, know where I have help.”
Rounding out the first team with Caruso were the Bucks' Jrue Holiday, Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr, Bucks' Brook Lopez and Cavaliers' Evan Mobley. The second team was comprised of Heat's Bam Adebayo, Raptors' O.G. Anunoby, Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks, Warriors' Draymond Green and Celtics' Derrick White.
Caruso averaged 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks in his 23.5 minutes per game.