Caleb Wilson's Unapologetic Confidence is Exactly What the Bulls Need

It has been years since a Chicago Bull has shown a sense of unapologetic confidence, but it appears their newest rookie may have just that. 

The Bulls introduced their two rookies from the NBA Draft on Friday, and sitting next to fellow rookie Dailyn Swain and new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham, Caleb Wilson continued to set high standards for his rookie season.

When asked what his expectations were for his first season in the NBA, Wilson quickly responded with "I expect to have Rookie of the Year. Honestly."

The exchanges with long-time NBA reporter Sam Smith continued. Smith asked Wilson about the perceptions of other players in the draft being more NBA-ready, and Wilson seemed ready with his response, "I mean, I played all of them, though. You know what happened when I played them. So it doesn't really matter. I don't really care about the media. I'm a competitor and I get to play them in the Summer League too. So whatever needed to be done to prove that I'm on the same level or that I'm better, we'll do."

What stuck out about Wilson's reaction was not that it was dismissive, but that it came from genuine belief. There was no attempt to give a political answer or be diplomatic. Instead he phrased it to framing that competition into opportunities rather than criticisms. 

Later on, Smith and Wilson had another notable exchange when Smith asked whether Wilson had thought about the weight of declaring a goal to be the greatest player in history, when he will wear the same jersey as Bulls icon Michael Jordan. 

Rather than walking it back, Wilson doubled down.

"I'm striving to be the greatest ever," he said. "It is a bold thing to say, but that's what I'm striving for. I'm not striving to be an average or a mediocre player... If I reach that goal, then I do. If I don't, then at least I know I tried."

For a franchise that has long been searching for an identity in the post-Jordan and post-Rose eras, this sort of mindset sticks out. The Bulls have maintained "good-but-not-good-enough" rosters over the years, but it would be hard to point at any individual player and confidently say there was anyone who personified the "killer instinct" that made fans fall in love with previous greats like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. 

Caleb Wilson — and possibly even new teammate Matas Buzelis — both seem to carry an edge to their personas that may be exactly what the organization needs to reach the ultimate goal. 

Of course, it will take a lot more than confidence to become the types of players that these athletes claim they strive to be. NBA teams are well aware of the spotlight that comes with being a rookie, and coaches will target Wilson on the court to see if the bite is as good as the bark.

Ultimately it will be the play on the court that will decide whether Wilson truly does live up to the expectations that he has set forth for himself. 

However, what cannot be taught is the willingness to believe. Wilson has shown he truly believes he belongs on the highest level. 

And if that mindset translates the way Chicago hopes, Friday's press conference will be looked back on as more than just an introduction. It will be noted as the arrival of a new tone within an organization that was desperate to have one.