Monday brought more bad news on the Lonzo Ball front for the Chicago Bulls, with head coach Billy Donovan revealing he's being shut down for at least 10 days because of a lack of progress in his return from knee surgery. In addition to needing surgery for a torn meniscus, Ball is dealing with a troublesome bone bruise that's hindering his return.
With Ball missing the rest of this season seemingly more and more in play, Donovan decided to turn to Alex Caruso for a spark in the starting lineup against the Toronto Raptors on Monday. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu had previously taken Ball's spot in the starting lineup, but the youngster was struggling heading into Monday's game, which also saw the return of Patrick Williams.
The move paid off, with Caruso's defense playing a key role in the Bulls' much-needed 113-99 win. Dosunmu also looked rejuvenated coming off the bench, going for 11 points and six assists with no turnovers.
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After the game, Donovan noted that this Caruso decision wasn't just a one-off. It was made with a long-term vision in mind:
Billy Donovan said the Alex Caruso start is something he wants to look at "long term."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 22, 2022
This makes plenty of sense with Ball's return in question. As great as Ayo has been for the Bulls this season, he's still just a rookie who was seemingly hitting a rookie wall lately after playing so many minutes. Caruso is the better player while also boasting championship experience, so he should be getting the starting nod over Dosunmu in the playoffs if Ball isn't yet back in the lineup.
Chicago's win over Toronto was crucial for the standings. The Bulls were in danger of slipping into the play-in tournament after an awful West Coast trip, but now they're 2.5 games clear of the seventh-seeded Raptors while also clinching the tiebreaker.
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