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Alex Caruso believes the Chicago Bulls can make the NBA Playoffs

AC is optimistic on the Bulls and sees them in Playoffs.

Stephen Beslic

© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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The Chicago Bulls are halfway through the season and have done well to extricate themselves from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to the doorstep of a potential outright spot in the NBA Playoffs. 

At 19-22, the Bulls stand in ninth place, three games behind the eighth-place Orlando Magic. Veteran guard Alex Caruso has seen the team at its lowest, mired near the bottom of the standings with a 5-14 record at the end of November. 

However, they have since gone 14-8, thanks to the emergence of Coby White as the team’s undisputed rising star and a free-flowing style of play predicated on quick ball movement and decision-making. Caruso believes the team has a good shot at making the postseason.

“When we play the way we should, we’re a really good team,” Caruso said.

Playing the right way

The Chicago Bulls are starting to get IT—this means playing unselfish basketball on one end and solid defense on the other. Caruso remarked that if the team consistently does these things, they can become one of the better teams in the NBA.

“Trying not to veer out of my lane too much, but when we play the right way, we’re a good team,” Caruso answered when asked about what the front office has in mind with the coming second half of the season.

“I think we’ve proven that a little bit last year and this year, even though you can’t put much weight in seasons you’re not in [the playoffs]. But we’ve beaten good teams, we’ve shown we can play with the good teams, and that’s the way you win late in the season. For us, it’s just about the consistency of it.”

What to make of Zach LaVine

One of the league’s worst-kept secrets is the Bulls’ desire to move on from Zach LaVine. Although the Bulls have done well since the All-Star’s return, going 4-1, it’s clear that this team’s core has reached the end of its rope about championship potential. 

Since his return, LaVine has normed 16.8 points, seven rebounds, and six assists—numbers hardly worthy of the massive contract he’s commanding, thus making it difficult to find a trade partner.

However, Caruso remains adamant that the Bulls can make noise in the postseason if they get there.

“Once you get to the playoffs, it’s a seven-game series,” Caruso said.

“They know what you’re going to run; you know what they’re going to run. It’s just about going out there and putting your best foot forward and competing. When we do that, I think we’re a really good team.”

Nikola Vucevic calls Alex Caruso's defense a "game-changer" after holding the San Antonio Spurs' Devin Vassell to only five points

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Stephen Beslic
STEPHEN BESLIC

Stephen Beslic is a writer on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Stephen played basketball from the age of 10 and graduated from Faculty of Economic and Business in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring in Marketing.

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