Alex Caruso shares the secret the defending the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum
Tatum #Tatum
It takes a lot of work to become a First-Team All-NBA defender. It takes skill, instinct, knowledge, and dedication. It’s an art form that is hard to master. Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso has seemingly done that, and it’s a result of years of training and intensive film study. The former Texas A&M star has a book on every single player in the NBA, especially the elite scorers that he has the task of slowing down in every game.
He recently shared some of his insights into how he defends one of the most dangerous players in the league, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
Film work
As crucial as it is to develop a physique that can withstand the rigors of playing defense on some of the best NBA players, Caruso insists that film work is just as important since this is where he gets a detailed look at the moves his opponents like to use.
“I wonder if guys watch film, you know, if anybody knows if Jayson Tatum has a ball in his left hand, there’s probably a 95% chance that he’s gonna shoot it,” Caruso said during his appearance on JJ Redick’s podcast.
Tatum is one of the most lethal scorers in the Association today and is a legitimate MVP candidate. However, Caruso has had success defending the former Duke star.
Knowing the opponent’s tendencies
Half of the defensive battle is having a solid grasp of what your opponent’s tendencies are and capitalizing on them. Caruso has done his work on Tatum and can take away his left-hand dominance, deceptively quick first step, and an arsenal of moves.
“It was time after time he would come off, and he’d either jab step and just shoot it, or he’d come off as he left hand and do his little step back or just rise up and shoot it, and it just it was blowing me away that nobody, nobody knew that he was going to shoot it,” Caruso added.