Bulls need to replicate Alex Caruso defensive plan to unlock Patrick Williams

The Chicago Bulls’ victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 was led by more than just DeMar DeRozan’s scoring.

Yes, DeRozan’s 41 points played a vital role in the Bulls’ ability to steal home-court advantage at the time, but the defensive play of Alex Caruso was arguably the biggest X-factor of the game. The fourth quarter was the biggest moment of Caruso’s clinic.

He grabbed a crucial offensive rebound with 35 seconds left in the game, and drew a game-clinching charge on Giannis Antetokounmpo the next possession — a fitting bow for his stellar performance, which also featured three 3-point makes, 10 assists, and a game-high +16 plus-minus.

His play led Chicago to their first playoff win since 2017.

Caruso’s defensive intensity influenced the rest of the team as well. As a whole, they grabbed seven steals and forced 15 Milwaukee turnovers in Game 2. When Caruso was asked if he can tell the Bulls turned their defensive switch back on, he said, “Can you tell?” he asked. “Yeah. We can tell. I think everybody can tell.”

Alex Caruso’s defense saved the Bulls from a Giannis take over and freed up Patrick Williams

Caruso’s play did more than just bother Antetokounmpo down the stretch — though that job was the most important. He also alleviated some of the pressure that was on Patrick Williams.

Williams was the primary defender on Antetokounmpo in both games, but saw much more one-on-one play with the Greek Freak in Game 1. In Game 2, Caruso read Antetokounmpo’s drives much quicker and came on the back-side to trap almost instantly.

This gave Williams a much-needed break and saved his legs. In Game 1, he was extremely passive down the stretch, refusing to look for his own shot. In this game, he was assertive on kick-outs, driving on poor close-outs, and hit crucial buckets when the Bucks started to get in a rhythm.

Williams did not get much run this season. He was cleared for contact in mid-March after a five-month rehab and has since worked his way back into the starting lineup. He has gone through passive stretches that could be attributed to lack of chemistry with the new players on the roster, as well as fatigue stemming from the lack of basketball action over the course of the season.

Either way, he has been tasked with one of the hardest jobs in the playoffs in defending Antetokounmpo. That job would be immensely difficult for an All-Star who saw action all 82 games and had the chemistry of a twin with his teammates. For a guy in Williams’ situation, it’s almost overwhelming.

That’s why Caruso’s reads on Antetokounmpo are so crucial. Not only did they throw him off, but they gave Williams some backup.

Moving forward, the Bulls will have to build on the momentum whenever it’s captured. The Bucks are going to be without their second leading scorer in Khris Middleton for the rest of the series and have to take advantage. Jrue Holiday is an elite point guard while Antetokounmpo is one of the 75 greatest players to ever play the game of basketball, so it won’t be easy, but it’s certainly possible if the Bulls can execute and shake off the stink from Friday’s Game 3 loss.

And one scenario to keep an eye on is Caruso’s defense being able to free up Williams on offense, because that will continue to throw the Bucks off balance, especially with one fewer star in the lineup.