“He’s gotten better every year…Me and him are like top 5-10 guards in the league, on ball defense”- Alex Caruso blames injuries for Bulls’ struggles in playoffs, anticipates a strong comeback from Lonzo Ball

Alex Caruso and the Chicago Bulls looked like one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference last year. Then the injuries started to pile up.

With Caruso and fellow guard Lonzo Ball missing significant time, the Bulls dropped from first in the Eastern Conference down to the sixth seed by the end of the season. It took the Milwaukee Bucks just five games to eliminate them from the playoffs in the first round of the 2022 NBA postseason.

The Bulls head into the 2022/23 campaign with more questions than answers. One of the biggest concerns is the health status of Lonzo Ball.

The 23-year old played in just 35 games last season after suffering a mensicus tear in his left knee. He underwent left knee surgery in late January and ended up sidelined for the remainder of the season. He experienced a setback while rehabbing his knee during offseason training and hasn't fully recovered. He will reportedly be unavailable when the team kicks off their regular season against the Miami Heat on October 19.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Alex Caruso commented on how strong their chemistry is playing together. He also praised Ball's defensive abilities and noticable improvement on both ends of the floor.

“He’s gotten better every year; he was having another career year last year... Shooting was lights out, the usage was up, assist percentage was up. Defensively, me and him went like top 5-10 guards in the league, on ball defense."

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Alex Caruso hopes for Chicago Bulls to make noise in 2022-23

Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso against the Houston Rockets

There's no denying that the Chicago Bulls were one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference last year when healthy. Despite a plethora of injuries to key players, the Bulls still managed to finish the year with an overall record of 46-36, and secured their first playoff berth since 2017.

Caruso, who went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2016, has blossomed into one of the most underrated guards in the NBA.

His ability on the defensive side of the ball, high basketball IQ, exceptional playmaking ability and surprising athleticism made him a huge impact for the Bulls on both sides of the floor last season. Coming off the bench, Caruso averaged 7.4 points, 4.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 28.0 minutes of action.

If the Chicago Bulls get their core players healthy again, they will be one of the tougher outs in the Eastern Conference.