Bulls hoping to get their act back together on defense
Did the Bulls create some hope Saturday their defense can actually be decent?
They held Cleveland to 91 points, which was their lowest opponent point total since Nov. 26 and the first time they've held a team below 100 since the last time Alex Caruso played, Jan. 21 in Milwaukee.
The Bulls were a good defensive team early in the season. At the end of November, they ranked seventh in the league in defensive rating. Then injuries started messing with the chemistry and the Bulls ranked 25th during the month of January.
And things have changed since early in the season. Besides Caruso's return from a broken right wrist, Saturday's game featured strong defense from rookie Ayo Dosunmu, who helped pester Cavs all-star Darius Garland into 2 of 12 shooting in the first half. Garland came back to have a nice game, but the fast start helped keep the Bulls in control.
When they stood next to each other, the Dosunmu-Garland matchup seemed unfair. Dosunmu is 2-3 inches taller and has that massive wingspan he uses to block shots and collect steals.
In theory, the Bulls could be an even stronger defensive team by the end of March than they were early in the season if Lonzo Ball and Patrick Williams are able to return.
"I think we saw flashes of it earlier in the year," Caruso said after the game. "Ayo's done a great job of improving and learning. I think it's been valuable for us as a team, him getting this experience to run the show, to guard the best players on the other team.
"Now we're getting third and fourth time of seeing guys, he's starting to pick up on different clues, starting to play less with his hands. His range and versatility on defense is really big for us. For me, just trying to get back in there and do what I do, disrupt stuff. When you put it all together, I think we could be pretty dangerous."
The Bulls' defensive success early in the season was based more on creating havoc than winning individual matchups. Ball, with his length and speed, is among the best at sliding over for double-teams, then deflecting passes that come out of those situations. Caruso can do the same or linger in the passing lanes. The Bulls could conceivably add another set of long arms with Dosunmu on the court.
While missing 22 games with the broken wrist, Caruso was always active on the sideline during games and had plenty of advice for younger guards Dosunmu and Coby White.
"Pretty much everything he's saying is the truth," Dosunmu said. "I'm willing to accept it because it makes me a better player. I'm pretty sure our teammates also, it makes them better players and it makes us a better team."
Caruso is popular with his teammates, as well as fans at the United Center. Williams paid tribute by sitting on the bench Saturday wearing Caruso's jersey under a jacket.
"We have great chemistry," Caruso said. "I think everybody on the team is pulling for whoever it is at the time that needs it. Tonight it was me. I think that's just a product of how much I pour into my teammates and they pour into me. When you have that kind of selflessness on the team, it goes a long way."
The Bulls are still in contention for a top-2 seed in the East, but will play eight of their next nine games on the road. They'll spend this week out West, facing Sacramento on Monday, then Utah and Phoenix. Zach LaVine is listed as questionable for the Kings game with the sore left knee.
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