The Chicago Bulls were without guard Alex Caruso on Tuesday when they played the Toronto Raptors in an NBA preseason game.
According to head coach Billy Donovan (h/t Cody Westerlund of 670TheScore.com), Caruso was out in that game due to a lower-body injury after injuring his ankle in practice.
“Alex Caruso (ankle strain) will not play tonight,” Billy Donovan reports. The condition isn’t serious. In practice, he stepped on a toe. The Bulls are hopeful that he will be able to play on Thursday.”
The good news for Alex Caruso and the Bulls is that his injury does not appear to be serious enough to keep him out of the Bulls’ opening game of the 2023-24 NBA season.
The Bulls likely elected to rest Caruso to prevent aggravation of the tweaked ankle in a meaningless exhibition game.
Alex Caruso’s outlook for the 2023-24 NBA season
Caruso is about to enter his third season with the Bulls. He averaged 6.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals in his first two seasons in Chicago, while shooting 42.8 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Caruso’s contribution to the Bulls is felt more on defense, but there is still potential for him to grow offensively, especially with his 50.9 effective field goal % and 54.7 true shooting percentage.
Caruso’s next opportunity to play will come Thursday, when the Bulls host the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last preseason game. Chicago will open the 2023-24 NBA season on Oct. 25 at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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