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Alex Caruso tries to help the young Bulls' as their roles become more important

The young Bulls have been placed into unfamiliar roles.

Stephen Beslic

© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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The rash of injuries the Chicago Bulls have encountered this season has opened up plenty of opportunities for other players. Zach LaVine’s extended absence in December paved the way for Coby White to take center stage and join the conversation for Most Improved Player this season.

Recently, the Bulls also lost Patrick Williams for the remainder of the season as he will undergo surgery to repair his injured foot. In addition, Torrey Craig is out indefinitely because of a sprained knee, leaving the Bulls extremely thin at both forward spots. These developments open the door for sophomore Dalen Terry and rookie Julian Phillips to join the rotation and contribute.

Veteran guard Alex Caruso hopes to provide the two with sufficient counsel to help them provide quality minutes for the Bulls.

Receptive to guidance

For the most part, Caruso shared the two young guns are eager to learn and get better as the season reaches its final stages. The former Texas A&M star added the most important thing Terry and Phillips can learn this season is how to play defense without fouling.

“They want to get better. They’re receptive to advice. I’ve talked to both of them about trying to play without fouling. That’s the hard thing. When you’re young, guys are older than you and crafty and smart. The game is slower for them. Anytime you get a hand in or are out of position, they take advantage of it,” Caruso narrated.

“Both those guys have such great length and height that they don’t need to foul. I try to tell them to get their feet in position, and then they can use their hands as weapons instead of the opposite, where you use your hands and your feet try to catch up. They’ve done a good job.”

Been through this road before

Caruso knows what he’s talking about when making the most of opportunities that drop before you. He remembered his time with the Los Angeles Lakers when he earned minutes when guards Lonzo Ball and Rajon Rondo hit the sidelines due to injuries.

“I’m a prime example of that. When I was in L.A., (Lonzo Ball) got hurt the first time. (Rajon) Rondo was hurt a little bit. I just had to grind. I took my seven, eight minutes and turned it into 10, 12. Turned that 10, 12 into 15, and that turned into 20. I ended up starting Game 6 of the finals. So everything that they want is in front of them. It’s just about them taking the opportunity,” Caruso added.

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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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