Caleb Wilson is proving he’s a winner on and off the court at NBA Summer League
It’s no secret that former UNC star Caleb Wilson is a winner. We’ve knew that before he committed to UNC, we knew that while he was at UNC, and now he is proving it at the next level. Setting aside the Chicago Bulls win/loss column in the NBA Summer League (seriously, you don’t want me to go down that rabbit hole), Wilson has shocked fans, media personalities, and the Bulls organization as a whole. Everyone knew he’d be good, but nobody knew that he’d be this good.
Through three summer league games, Wilson is averaging 24.3 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks per game while shooting 48% from the three-point line. While the three-point shooting has been the most shocking development, what’s also been impressive is Wilson’s energy, defensive intensity, and selflessness. During the Bulls’ third game specifically, he made all the right plays to get his teammates involved. His three assists may not seem like much, but if you go back and watch the film you will see him finding teammates in the corner when he drives to the basket, tossing difficult passes when he’s double-teamed, and giving up ill-advised shots that we’ve seen other players try to force this summer in order to make the better play.
While all of this sounds incredible, Wilson has also been winning the press conference game. For example: he was asked about not getting to play AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson after they both were shut down for the Summer League season, and here’s what he had to say:
“I feel like I’m different than all of them. I can’t say they don’t enjoy basketball but I enjoy basketball. I love this shit.”
“As long as I don’t have an injury, I’m going to play every time”
When asked about his summer plans and whether or not he would take some time off, here’s what he had to say:
“Hell no. I’m not taking no time off…it’s my rookie year, and I’m ’bout to go back to Chicago and get to work.”
Several walls may or may not have human-sized holes in Chicago.
Wilson is willing to put in the work that is required to be one of the better players in the NBA, and so far it is paying off. Just take a look at his stat line during Summer League play compared to his peers:
Wilson’s entire bag is playing the game that he loves and proving everyone wrong, and so far he has done those two things masterfully for Chicago. A lot of media personalities are starting to claim that he could win Rookie of the Year, which is amusing when you think about it, because from November until the NBA Draft we mostly heard about the Big 3. Whenever Wilson was mentioned, it was usually followed up with a limerick about how he cannot shoot. Now that his post-UNC bag has been revealed, it’s clear that Chicago has a special one in the former Tar Heel, and his teammate Matas Buzelis seems to think so as well.
Make no mistake about it, the Chicago Bulls are still in rebuild mode, but their path to competitiveness looks a lot better now that Caleb Wilson has entered the building. Making big predictions on how players will turn out based off Summer League performances can be difficult, but here’s one that feels pretty safe: Wilson will be a star for the Bulls, and as long as they build around him properly, the sky is the limit.
