Expectations are a funny thing for a professional athlete.
People put them on you, based on criteria that may or may not be valid, and then it’s your job to live up to them. And if you don’t, you may be labeled a bust, a washout or simply overrated.
On the flip side, sometimes it’s decided that nothing is expected from you, and any contribution you make is deemed a surprise. You’re suddenly a breakout star, coming out of nowhere to shock the experts.
Chicago Bulls guards Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu are perfect examples of NBA players trying to escape labels.
Caruso, an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2016, had to fight to make a living in the league, eventually becoming LeBron James’ wingman with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing a four-year, $37 million deal with the Bulls in August.
He has grown accustomed to being overlooked in his young career.
“Yeah, maybe, just the skill set I have is different than a lot of players,” Caruso said. “It’s a much more offensive game nowadays. My game is defense first, and my offense sort of complements that. But I just show up and do my job.”
Dosunmu went from being king of the hill at Morgan Park High School and the University of Illinois to getting drafted in the second round by the Bulls, from college stardom to a rookie season many thought he would be spending mostly in the G League.
“I never listened to what they said,” Dosunmu said. “Because I know what I’m capable of doing.”
Now Caruso and Dosunmu are being counted on to provide energy off the bench for a 6-1 Bulls team that, naturally, is raising expectations in Chicago and across the NBA.
DeMar DeRozan called Dosunmu “the epitome of a Chicago kid” after the rookie’s star turn Monday in a 128-114 win over the Boston Celtics, while coach Billy Donovan said Dosunmu has “unbelievable confidence and belief in himself” that’s “not cross-the-line arrogance.”
It all paid off at TD Garden in Boston, where Dosunmu scored 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting in his first extended playing time, earning a spot in Donovan’s rotation.
Asked about Donovan’s words of praise, Dosunmu said: “That comes from how I was raised. I always put the work in and it’s what you believe in. My motto is ‘Fear God.’ I don’t fear anything but God. I pray, and my parents always got me the right way. My grandparents leaned on me to give me good guidance.
“So when I go out there and compete, I trust in what I do and I just go out there and play hard.”
Both players were instrumental in the Bulls’ epic comeback that might be remembered as a signature win of the 2021-22 season. Trailing by 12 with just under 10 minutes left, Caruso hit a 3-pointer and blocked a Dennis Schröder shot on the other end. The ball wound up in the hands of Dosunmu, who lofted a perfect alley-oop pass to Derrick Jones Jr. for a slam, paring the deficit to seven.
The Celtics called a timeout, but it mattered little. When Dosumnu sank a 27-foot 3-pointer with 6:54 left, the Bulls had taken the lead, erasing what once was a 19-point deficit and remained 14 points at the start of the fourth quarter. According to ESPN Stats & Info, it was the first time in the shot-clock era (since 1954-55) that a team leading by 14 or more points entering the fourth quarter lost by 14 or more.
From blowout to “Bullied.”
Caruso wound up with nine points, six assists and two steals, and he and Dosunmu had a combined plus/minus of plus-36.
While used off the bench to spell point guard Lonzo Ball with the second unit, Caruso also teams with Ball and Zach LaVine in a three-guard lineup to close out games and gets starter’s minutes. With Patrick Williams out for the regular season with a wrist injury, Caruso’s importance in Donovan’s rotation only grows.
“I really just enjoy the diversity we have on our team,” he said. “Even our small lineups — me, Ayo, Troy (Brown Jr.), Zach, Lonzo — we’re all 6-foot-4 to 6-6, 6-7, so it’s not really that small, like a traditional small lineup. I think it benefits us well.”
Caruso still has a good relationship with James, who jokingly called him “the G.O.A.T.” in Los Angeles, where he became a fan favorite. But when he hit free agency, the Bulls were aggressive, offering Caruso the four-year deal the Lakers sniffed at.
The Lakers instead got older, adding James’ old friend Carmelo Anthony along with veterans Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo and DeAndre Jordan. Caruso said he didn’t expect his friendship with James to factor into management’s decision on whether to re-sign him.
“I didn’t talk to him in free agency or anything like that,” he said. “Me and him have a good relationship. I knew where he stood as far as being my teammate and playing with me. I knew where that stood. It came down to dollars and cents and opportunity.
“Chicago fit all my needs, and I thought it would be a good spot for me. They were aggressive. I talked to A.K. (executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas) and Billy on the phone and I just liked the idea of how we’re playing right now. They talked about this — playing hard defensively, fast offensively and unselfish basketball.
“It’s good to see some of those things come to fruition. It’s always easy to talk about them, but then to actually go out and do them is a different thing. I think it’s been a good decision. There’s a lot of games left to be played and a lot of time, but I’m enjoying it so far.”
Bulls fans have responded to Caruso’s style of play, which is reminiscent of the late, great Norm Van Lier, who also threw his body around with reckless abandon in pursuit of steals. They chanted “M-V-P” at Caruso during the home opener at the United Center, which he knew was a tongue-in-cheek salute to his hustle and style.
“It’s nice, and I hope it’s warranted and we back it up with success so they’re cheering for the right things,” he said. “I think it just goes to show that I play the game the right way and try to live my life the right way — living for other people and being unselfish, trying to be a good person. I think people recognize that, and hopefully I can keep that going.”
It’s just a start, of course, but for Caruso and Dosunmu, the fun is just beginning.
