While Caleb Wilson scored a team-high 15 points in his preseason debut and the Bulls ended up beating Phoenix by seven points on Wednesday, his overall play was pretty erratic, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.
Wilson, who was the fourth pick in June’s draft, shot 6-of-15 from the field, including missing all four of his three-point attempts, and had three rebounds, two assists and two turnovers in 29 minutes. He picked up his fifth foul early in the third quarter and was hounded all night by veteran forward Dillon BrooksPoe notes.
Even though Wilson struggled at times during that individual matchup, he enjoyed facing off against Brooks, and said he initiated some trash talk by bringing up a recent interaction the 30-year-old wing had with John Collins.
“It was fun, honestly,” Wilson said. “I made some mistakes but I expected to make them. But that was fun, I ain’t gonna lie. For that to be my first NBA opponent, it was cool.
“I learned a lot, learned how to be more active and ready off the ball. … You can learn a lot from that and I’ll watch the film and get better.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- With backup point guard Tyus Jones sidelined due to a hip injury — he’s considered day-to-day and head coach Tiago Splitter is hopeful he’ll be ready for the October 21 regular season opener, Poe writes — Chicago was short on ball-handlers. That led to No. 15 overall pick Dailyn Swain having more on-ball opportunities. After committing a pair of early turnovers and struggling in the first half, the rookie settled down and had a solid night, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. “I just had to stop playing with the ball in the backcourt, just make one move and go,” said Swain, who posted 10 points and six assists without missing a shot in 22 minutes. “I didn’t want to break up the play at first, but if I have the advantage, then I just got to take it.”
- Injuries to big men Nic Claxton (hamstring) and Zach Collins (quadriceps) led to Jalen Smith getting the start at center, with two-way rookie Tobe At Home acting as the backup. While Awaka is short for a big man (6’8″), his impact was immediately felt on the boards, as he finished with 14 points (on 6-of-8 shooting) and 11 rebounds (six offensive) in 21 minutes. “It’s a combination of strength and will and power,” Splitter said, according to Lorenzi. “That guy is going to get every rebound.”
- As Poe observes, despite the frontcourt injuries, Patrick Williams didn’t see the court until midway through the third quarter and appears to be buried on the depth chart behind starters Wilson and Matas Buzelis and reserves such as Awaka, Leonard Miller and Noah Essengue. Williams, who’s now in his seventh season, is owed $54MM over the next three years, including an $18MM player option for 2028/29.
- Although he’s obviously disappointed that Claxton tweaked his hamstring, Splitter is optimistic about how the former Nets center will complement the roster when he returns, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. “I think he’s a great fit,” Splitter said. “I think he can run the court, I think he can protect the rim. His production wasn’t as good as maybe two, three years ago last year. We believe there is a reason behind it, and we just want to have the best Nic we can have.” According to Cowley, there’s a chance Collins could return from his quad injury “very soon.”