Bulls guard Caruso named first-team all-defense
Alex Caruso has long been known as a defensive disrupter. On Tuesday, he was recognized with his first selection to the NBA's all-defensive first team.
Caruso averaged 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks this season, to go with 5.6 points. He led the Bulls in defensive rating and net rating, among players who averaged at least 20 minutes.
Other players to make first-team all-defense were Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr., Cleveland's Evan Mobley, along with Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez from Milwaukee.
The second team included Boston's Derrick White, Golden State's Draymond Green, Toronto's OG Anunoby, Memphis' Dillon Brooks and Miami's Bam Adebayo. Bulls guard Patrick Beverley received one second-place vote.
This is the first time the Bulls have had an all-defensive first-team selection since Joakim Noah in 2014. Jimmy Butler was on the all-defensive second-team three years in a row from 2014-16.
NBA all-defensive teams have been around since the 1968-69 season. Caruso is the seventh Bulls player to make the first team. Michael Jordan did it nine times, Scottie Pippen seven, Jerry Sloan four, Norm Van Lier three, Noah twice and Dennis Rodman once.
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