
Today we take a look at how North Carolina freshman Caleb Wilson would fit next to Matas Buzelis as a member of the Chicago Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls are no strangers to drafting elite talent out of the University of North Carolina. And this upcoming draft cycle, the Bulls have another chance to add a game-changing Tar Heel.
Chicago--in the midst of another middling season--is in no position to draft for need over best player available (BPA), but North Carolina's Caleb Wilson has the rare distinction of filling both of those titles for the Bulls. Wilson is a 6-foot-10 forward whose intensity and determination show up on tape. Before his season ended early due to a broken right thumb, he averaged 19.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, and a combined 2.9 steals + blocks per game over his lone year at North Carolina.
Wilson is more of a defensive playmaker than any of the other top-10 prospects, and the fact that he is a fearless scorer despite lacking a 3-point jumper bodes well for his long-term development.
Having a productive pair of two-way wings is a surefire way to build a successful squad, and Wilson playing next to (also) 6-foot-10 Matas Buzelis could change the way teams have to deal with the Bulls on both ends of the floor.
Let's take a look at how Wilson fits with this current Bulls group (and specifically, Buzelis).
OFFENSE
The best way to describe Wilson's offense is: decisive and explosive.
Wilson has incredible agility and explosion in small spaces. He is able to rise up and dunk with authority with in mere seconds of receiving a pass anywhere in the paint.
Wilson doesn't have a clean enough handle (yet) to be a full time ball-handler for an NBA team, but that wouldn't be an issue in Chicago with Giddey doing majority of the distributing. Wilson does flash playmaking chops--2.7 APG vs. 2.0 TOPG--and has the ability to use his size to find bigs. A high-low passing game between Buzelis and Wilson could have impressive results with both players projecting to be free throw attempt magnets as they develop and add strength.
At this time, there is no evidence of Wilson turning into a knockdown 3-point shooter, at the same time he seems very aware of his limitations. Wilson never appears to force shots. He only attempted 1.1 3-point FGAs per game (25.9%), preferring to leverage his incredible leaping ability and length in the paint.
Wilson uses a reportedly 7-foot wingspan to score on a variety of hook shots, dunks, and up-and-unders around the rim. He has great balance and does not shy away from contact. He shot 61% on 2-point FGAs, and collected 7.5 FTAs per game (converted free throws at 71% rate) over his lone year at North Carolina despite being the primary focus of most defenses.
Assuming he is still the coach in Chicago next season, Billy Donovan would almost certainly have Wilson raising that 3-point attempt rate dramatically as he tries to work on expanding his range. But in the meantime, Wilson's rim-wrecking focus would pair well with Buzelis' inside-out game, which saw him become a much more aggressive floor spacer this season.
Buzelis has basically doubled his 3-point attempts this season compared to last, taking a robust 6.4 attempts per game from deep. Buzelis newfound aggression from deep would give the ultra-aggressive Wilson even more room to work with in the paint to exploit mismatches, giving the Bulls a real identity and foundation on offense: Find who has the better matchup between Wilson and Buzelis, and let Giddey find them in their preferred spots on the floor.
DEFENSE
Perhaps the best part of Wilson-Buzelis pairing on paper is how it projects to elevate the Bulls porous defense. Wilson and Buzelis are both 6-foot-10 forwards with long wingspans, who project to be able to play minutes at small-ball center as they add weight to their now, lean frames.
Wilson collected 36 steals and 33 blocks over 24 games, leading North Carolina in SPG (1.5) and BPG (1.4). He has the agility and foot speed to stay with smaller matchups on switches, and is excellent at using his long arms to overwhelm players, disturbing their vision and poking at the ball when the opportunity presents itself.
Although Wilson's athleticism is the majority of what makes him such a tantalizing defensive prospect, his processing speed has to be mentioned as well. Wilson has great timing on blocks, often coming over from the weak side at the last second for an emphatic swat. Wilson is capable of the highlight-reel-worthy volleyball spike blocks, but perhaps more impressive is when he collected blocks on the perimeter. Wilson's length and timing allow him to bother jumpshots in a way that your average NBA defender simply does not.
The fact that Wilson is blue-chip prospect with an incredible motor gives him a very high floor. Usually, prospects with his level of accomplishment need the occasional prodding to bring maximum intensity every night, but that isn't the case with Caleb Wilson. There are not many prospects in this draft class who would solve all of the Bulls issues, but Wilson looks like one of the four prospects that could change the outlook of the franchise.


