The Bykov have sky-high expectations Caleb Wilsontheir fourth overall pick in the 2026 draft. Through three games, his play has, in some ways, rebounded from that of the Bulls themselves, Joel Lorenzi writes for The Athletic.
The young forward’s career debut was littered with losses and resulted in the lowest plus-minus of any rookie debut in NBA history. However, he quickly showed his ability to learn and grow on the fly, culminating in a 30-point, 14-rebound game Saturday, albeit in a loss to the Wizards.
His athleticism stood out, but what will help him settle in is being patient and not always trying to do too much. His defense has been up and down, but he has shown great potential as a weak side blocker.
While the stats have been impressive, perhaps the most encouraging part of Wilson’s game is his willingness to make up for any mistake he makes on the court. Julia Poe writes for the Chicago Tribune.
We’ve got more Bulls news and notes:
- Head coach Tiago Splitter he has a lot to learn in his first year with the Bulls and is trying to instill a sense of tough love similar to what he got from the legendary coach Gregg Popovich, Joe Cowley writes for the Chicago Sun-Times. “In general, players have to fight for all possessions, and we are not there yet” said Splitter. “But that’s how I think they get better. They need pressure. They have to get minutes too but they have to feel the pressure if they don’t play the way I want you won’t sit with me for a while.” One player who has already gone through this experience Matas Bouzeliswho sat most of the fourth quarter against the Bucks, though Splitter downplayed the decision, saying:We make it more important than it should be.”
- Fast forward to the second year Noah Esseng appears to be in line for a few more minutes, although he sat out Saturday due to a light-sensitivity head hit on Friday, according to Cowley. Esenge saw his minutes reduced in Summer League because of the combination of intensity and emotion, Cowley writes, and he took it to heart. “It was a strong message” – said Eseng. “Seeing my playing time cut off in Summer League because they said I wasn’t putting my energy and energy on the court, it was something that just forces you to change that.” Despite only scoring four points against the Bucks, he was an effective defender, which will be his job for much of the start of this season.
- The bulls are learning as they go and have reason to be optimistic, but the schedule will really test them. – writes Cowley. Over the next few weeks, they face the Celtics, the Knicks twice, the Sixers twice and the Spurs. Players know they have little superstar power and will have to rely on their strengths to continue building the right path. “Not every team has (Victor Wembanyama); not every team has Jason Tatum” said Wilson.So every game we go out with the approach that we have to be great players and do what we have to do because it’s about us. I feel like we’re really well-rounded with this team, and I feel like that’s going to be good for us. I like us, so I’m excited for the opportunity.”
