Alex Caruso named to NBA All-Defense First Team

It’s a well-deserved honor for the Carushow.

© David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso finally got the recognition he rightfully deserves by being named to the NBA's All-Defense First Team for the first time in his career. He was joined on the prestigious list of defensive aces by the Milwaukee Bucks' Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday, Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr., who was named the Defensive Player of the Year a few weeks ago.

CARUSO CLAMPS.

Congrats @ACFresh21 on being named to the NBA's All-Defensive First-Team! pic.twitter.com/tguoII0GWE

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 9, 2023

Defensive impact

Even though Caruso's numbers do not stand out—1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks in just over 23 minutes per game—he was one of the most impactful players for the Bulls and their top-five defense in the league. The voting members of the media surely took notice as the former Texas A&M star got 50 first- and 24 second-team votes for a total of 125 voting points.

With a renewed focus on proper preparation and conditioning, Caruso played in 67 regular season games—the most he's played in his career. This allowed him to become the league leader in deflections per 36 minutes at 5.2. Never shy to put his body on the line, Caruso also finished 10th in the Association in charges drawn per game.

Proud of the work he's done

During the Play-in tournament, Caruso expressed how proud he was of his hard work to get to where he is right now.

"Coming from a spot where I was undrafted and teams didn't think I was good enough to be in the league to being, in my eyes, one of the best defenders in the league, we'll see what other people think," Caruso said. "But I'm really proud of how much work I've put in and the growth I've had to get to this point."

"There are a lot of good defenders in the league. It's a tough list to make, especially being a guard and only four spots. But I think I am worthy."

Alex Caruso: one of the best defenders in the game. pic.twitter.com/TKRoSoivMv

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 9, 2023