The Chicago Bulls dropped their home opener Saturday night, falling 124-120 to the Washington Wizards. Despite a strong start and a late fourth-quarter comeback, Chicago couldn't overcome a disastrous third quarter and fell to 1-2 on the season.

There were plenty of encouraging signs, particularly from rookie Caleb Wilson, but familiar issues with shooting and rebounding ultimately cost the Bulls a winnable game.

Here's the Good, Bad and Ugly from Chicago's loss.

The Bulls finally got off to a fast start.

After opening their first two games with sluggish first quarters, the Bulls came out firing against Washington. The starting five played with energy from the opening tip, pushing the pace and attacking the Wizards early.

Much of that success came from Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, who both had something to prove after being benched down the stretch against Milwaukee.

Giddey was much more assertive running the offense, pushing the ball in transition and setting the table for his teammates. The Bulls' point guard finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists with no turnovers in a much more balanced effort.

Buzelis looked equally determined, attacking downhill with purpose rather than settling for jump shots. The third year forward finished the game with 21 points and 5 rebounds as the Bulls' second leading scorer.

It was an encouraging response from two players who figure to be major pieces of Chicago's future.

Caleb Wilson continues to get better by the minute.

If there was one major takeaway from this loss, it was the performance of Caleb Wilson.

The rookie was electric against Washington, finishing with 30 points and 14 rebounds while posting a team-high plus-minus of +13.

Wilson entered halftime with 17 points, seven rebounds, a steal and a block, putting together a highlight reel of dunks along the way. It was a bad day to be a United Center rim, as Wilson threw down five dunks in the first half alone and drew fouls on three more attempts.

His aggressiveness was impressive, but what stood out even more was his willingness to take over when Chicago needed him most.

Wilson scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, leading the charge as the Bulls fought their way back into the game. He attacked the basket relentlessly and looked comfortable carrying the offense for stretches. The 4th overall pick notched his first NBA double-double finishing with 30 points and 14 rebounds. 

There will undoubtedly be growing pains throughout his rookie season, but Wilson is already showing why Bulls fans have so much reason to be excited about his future.

Chicago finally took care of the basketball.

After committing more than 20 turnovers in each of their first two games, the Bulls made a noticeable improvement against Washington.

Chicago finished with just 12 turnovers, a significant step forward for a team that has struggled to protect the basketball early in the season.

For a roster that wants to play fast and create opportunities in transition, taking care of the ball is essential. The Bulls showed they can push the pace without constantly giving away possessions, something they'll need to build on moving forward.

The Bulls shot themselves out of the game in the third quarter.

Chicago's biggest problem Saturday was its inability to recognize when the outside shots simply weren't falling.

The Bulls went just 2-for-11 from beyond the arc in the third quarter, allowing Washington to take control of a game Chicago had started so well.

Through three games, one thing has become increasingly apparent: this is not a particularly good three-point shooting team.

That doesn't mean the Bulls should abandon the three-point line entirely, but they need to be smarter about their shot selection. This roster has plenty of players capable of attacking the basket, drawing fouls and creating offense inside.

There is no reason for this team to be forcing 40 three-point attempts every night, especially when the shots aren't falling.

Chicago deserves credit for fighting back in the fourth quarter, but the damage had already been done. The Bulls can't afford to spend an entire quarter settling for jump shots and expect to make up for it with a late comeback.

The bench couldn't replicate its performance against Milwaukee.

After playing a massive role in Chicago's comeback victory over the Bucks, the Bulls' second unit struggled to provide the same spark against Washington.

The bench combined for just 26 points, a significant drop from the more than 50 points it contributed against Milwaukee.

Tre Jones was once again a steady presence, but Chicago didn't get nearly enough production from the rest of its reserves.

Nobody should expect the bench to score 50 points every night, but Chicago needs more consistent contributions from its second unit, especially when the starters are struggling.

The Bulls got bullied on the glass.

Chicago has plenty of length across its roster, but Saturday's game exposed a significant weakness: the Bulls don't have nearly as much strength.

Washington's frontcourt of Davis, Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton used its size and physicality to create problems for Chicago on the boards throughout the game.

The Bulls struggled to keep Washington's big men away from the basket, allowing the Wizards to capitalize on their strength advantage.

This is something Chicago needs to address as a team rather than relying entirely on its frontcourt players.

The forwards and centers need to do a better job boxing out and preventing opposing bigs from establishing position. At the same time, the guards need to be more active crashing the glass and securing rebounds once their teammates have done the dirty work.

Chicago may not have the strongest frontcourt in the league, but effort, positioning and communication can help make up for some of those physical disadvantages.

The Bulls leave their home opener with a disappointing loss, but there are still reasons to feel encouraged about what this team is building.

Wilson continues to look more comfortable with every passing game, Giddey and Buzelis responded well to adversity and Chicago made significant strides in limiting turnovers.

However, the Bulls need to find a better balance offensively and become more physical on the glass if they want to turn competitive performances into wins.

Through three games, this team has shown it can play exciting basketball. The next step is figuring out how to sustain that level of play for all four quarters.

Chicago laces them up in Boston on Monday night as they look to get back to .500.