Bulls' Caleb Wilson Embracing Patience, Despite Glimpses of Stardom

Caleb Wilson is just 20 years old, but the Bulls' rookie is wise beyond his years.

Chicago's No. 4 overall pick doesn't have many of the traits that one might expect out of a potential future NBA star at his age. For someone who has already been anointed the future of the franchise by many Chicagoans, Wilson is patient. He understands that development will take time, even as he exudes confidence and claims that he's ready to be the next "G.O.A.T." in the city.

On the court, Wilson is ferocious, swatting opposing shot attempts and dunking on anyone who stands in his way. Off of it, the rookie is a calm presence. He practices stoicism — a philosophical principle defined by self-control and internal peace. On game days, he takes a nap after shootaround, then meditates and watches his highlights to get himself ready to play.

Through four Summer League outings and five preseason games, Wilson already looks like everything the Bulls hoped for when they selected him this summer. He erupted for 35 points in his first game in Las Vegas and was named to the All-Summer League First Team. More recently, Wilson scored the second-most points in the NBA during the preseason (trailing only his teammate, Leonard Miller), averaging 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

There are moments of brilliance where Wilson looks like a superstar in the making. During Chicago's preseason finale against the Timberwolves, Wilson impacted four consecutive possessions with two emphatic blocks, a dunk and a putback off an offensive rebound. He also had a highlight-reel play in which he used his size to create space in the paint, then rebounded his own miss and dunked it in one fell swoop.

But even after another promising performance, Wilson was humble and introspective.

"I know the process for being a great player is not going to take five preseason games," Wilson said after the win. "It's a process, and that's what I'm excited for. Every good player or great player that's ever played had a time where they needed to learn. It just depends on how long it is. I'm just learning every day so I can be the best player I can be."

Wilson is focused on his own personal growth and how he can help the Chicago Bulls get better. While he acknowledged that he still has areas of his game he needs to "clean up," Wilson feels he's already getting the hang of reading NBA defenses much better. He has also worked on his off-ball defense — which has earned the praise of head coach Tiago Splitter — and is continuing to improve his physicality and defensive positioning.

There's still a long way to go before the 20-year-old becomes as good as he can be. Wilson knows that. Splitter knows that. The city of Chicago knows that. But the combination of on-court talent, internal drive and level-headedness that Wilson seems to possess should make the Bulls and their fans very excited about what the future has in store.

"That's the good thing about the NBA; we play 82 games," Wilson said. "Every game, I learn something new. I watch film and my coaches show me things that I can do better, and just go out there and do it."