To say the Chicago Bulls had a season opener to forget wouldn't tell half of the story. The renewed Toronto Raptors were no match for Tiago Splitter's team, taking the first home game of the season with a 135-92 blowout.
While the rest of the league had its eyes on Kawhi Leonard's triumphant return to Canada, Bulls fans only cared about Caleb Wilson. The rookie No. 4 pick had an uneven debut, and while there were some flashes, it was a rough night overall.
However, this is just a part of the process, and as frustrating as it might be, Wilson gets it. Instead of making a big fuss, sharing empty promises, or making up excuses, the rookie from UNC was candid and blunt about his expectations for the season.
Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson knows he's still a work in progress
“I feel like watching film; I'll learn a lot from it, but also just seeing the fact that I think I had so many turnovers today,” Wilson said (h/t Bulls on CHSN). “...I just couldn’t get any shots. I mean, I tried to drive a lot of closeouts. I was able to get to the lane and get them out, but I just couldn’t hit anything. I don’t feel like that’s going to be a consistent thing. So it’s just something to move on to the next game about."
This is what you want to hear from your franchise player. It doesn't mean he doesn't care or he's not bothered; he just knows there will be ebbs and flows and growing pains as a young player, and it's all about what he can learn and how to improve from these bumps on the road.
Wilson finished the game with 16 points on 21 shots. He shot 1-for-8 from beyond the arc, 1-from-2 from the free-throw line, grabbed four boards, and didn't hand a single assist. He had three steals and one block, but he also turned the ball over nine times and had four fouls.
Wilson's -45 box-plus-minus was tied for the second-worst by any Bulls player in NBA history, and it was the single-worst box-plus-minus in an NBA debut. That said, it's not like that was on him; his team got 43-pieced.
That's the type of box score one should expect from a player making his debut against the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Collin Murray-Boyles. That's just what the Raptors' trio of jumbo forward and elite defenders will do to young players.
Of course, this isn't to say he should always get a pass, and the nine turnovers are alarming, but someone had to make something happen. Josh Giddey didn't create for himself or others, and the Bulls clearly wanted to put the ball in the rookie's hands.
Also, the stellar three-point shooting from the Summer League was a welcome development, but that was never his game. He's a work in progress in that regard, and there will be some good games and some bad ones:
“Of course I wish I played better,” Wilson added (h/t The Athletic). “I wish I didn’t have many turnovers. I wish I made more shots than I think I usually hit. I know that’s gonna come. So I definitely won’t beat myself up.”
This is just a part of the journey. Wilson is far from a finished product, and it will be a while before he reaches his sky-high potential. This was one to forget, but he'll have 81 more learning opportunities, and he's already shown that he gets it.
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