Bulls Injury Report: Is Alex Caruso Playing Tonight vs Heat? Line-ups, Depth Chart, Stats, and More

Even though they are nowhere close to establishing the golden era that was once set by Michael Jordan, the current Chicago Bulls roster still continues to make waves. Their 38-43 record allowed them to secure a spot in the Play-In Tournament, in which they managed to clinch a 15-point margin win against the Hawks. Now, it’s time to take on the Miami Heat. One more win and the Eastern Conference team will be on its way to the 2024 Playoffs. As they look to prepare the offensive lineup, however, doubt still remains on the availability of point guard Alex Caruso, whose recent injury left Chicago fans in a state of worry.

On the 18th, renowned ESPN columnist Adrian Wojnarowski took to his official X account to provide an update on Caruso’s injury. After initially breaking the news about the player’s “significant” left ankle sprain, the reporter has now stated that further evaluation has revealed a reduction in swelling. While this is not good news, it is not a 100% guarantee that Caruso will be available for the matchup. Wojnarowski emphasized that the final decision will be made just moments before the game.

While the Bulls had managed to leave the Hawks behind in the dust, it came at the cost of Alex Caruso’s ankle injury. The incident occurred during the second quarter when Bulls center Andre Drummond rushed to the other side of the court to break the Hawks’ scoring effort. In a hurry, the player collided with Caruso and stepped on the latter’s foot. He ended up exiting the game after just 17 minutes of playtime.

Despite his recent and earlier injury troubles back in December, Alex Caruso has been amongst the most reliable players for the Bulls this season. In his 71 appearances, the player established an average score of 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He also leads the team in terms of overall steals, and his defensive skills have seldom failed in helping the Bulls in their time of need.

How would the Starting Lineup and the Depth Chart for the Bulls-Heat Clash look like?

The good news for the Bulls is that Alex Caruso’s wound is not as bad as expected. The bad news is that the player isn’t the only one on the Injury Report for tomorrow’s matchup. Julian Phillips, who has been absent since mid-March, continues to be out. Andre Drummond and Ayo Dosunmu, who have been averaging 8.4 and 12.2 points this season, are also listed as questionable. Despite missing the last three games of the regular season, Drummond had managed to make himself available for the Hawks clash.

Given Caruso’s role as the primary small forward, there will be a significant change in the lineup if he chooses to be absent, and 30-year-old Javonte Green can take his place. In light of the recent update, the starting lineup for the Chicago Bulls will look something like this:

The Bulls will have an advantage going into the matchup since the Heat’s star scorer, Jimmy Butler, has been declared out of the main lineup due to a sprained MCL. Another offensive scorer Duncan Robinson and shooting guard Terry Rozier have been declared out as well. Despite this, the Bulls will still have to deal with Tyler Herro and some other capable individuals. The Heat update will cause their starting lineup to look something like this:

Chicago Bulls vs the Miami Heat. Who will you be choosing to place your odds on? Let us know in the comments down below.