Alex Caruso was recently on the Young Man and the Three podcast, and revealed how poor a fit the Chicago Bulls were for his talents. Caruso shared stories of often feeling like the best player on his team when he suited up for the Bulls, and how out of place that was for him. He also said that the veteran leadership on the Bulls was sorely lacking compared to his prior stint in Los Angeles.
Caruso has proven himself as a championship role player. His lockdown defense has now contributed to two titles for two very different teams. He’s been one of the league’s best backups for half a decade, and that statement held true when he was on the Bulls, too.
But the Bulls are the only stop of his career where he hasn't won a championship. And that's no coincidence. The Bulls were not ready for an elite role player like Caruso because their top-end talent was lacking. The 'Big Three' of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic were not enough to get consistent playoff berths, let alone contend for a title.
Alex Caruso was the perfect role player on the wrong team
In Chicago, Caruso often felt like the best player on his team, a foreign feeling compared to the rest of his NBA career. In Los Angeles prior, he was part of an elite squad with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and now he's joined the Thunder with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. But on the Bulls, he did have games as one of the top scorers and was even forced to expand his offensive game.
Ironically, it's Caruso's improvements in Chicago that have made him such a deadly weapon for the Thunder now. His defense has always been elite, dating back to his G-League days, but his offensive contributions have been his biggest area of growth over the years. In Chicago, Caruso improved as a 3-point shooter, holding his percentage steady around 38 percent while nearly doubling his attempts per game from his Lakers stint.
He also got better at attacking closeouts as he gained more respect from defenders. These growing aspects of his game have made him a perfect fit in OKC, where he serves as a veteran leader to the young champions. In Chicago, Caruso felt that he lacked veteran leadership, as the aforementioned Big 3 have not had championship experience in the NBA. Instead, he was thrust into a veteran role early to keep the team on track.
It hurts to look back and realize that the Bulls had a perfect infrastructure for a championship team besides their top talent. They had a good group of role players, headlined by Caruso, but their stars couldn't get the job done. Hopefully, the Bulls learn from that mistake and do what they can to secure a true star in their next iteration.