Bulls Legend Derrick Rose Offers Advice to Rookie Caleb Wilson

It's not easy to carry the burden of being a top draft pick for the Chicago Bulls. No one would know that better than 2008 first overall pick Derrick Rose.

D-Rose also knows a thing or two about making a good first impression. The Chicago-native earned the Rookie of the Year award in year one, made an All-Star game in year two, and became the league MVP in year three.

So, if there's anyone that 2026 fourth overall pick Caleb Wilson should be listening to about how to navigate his rookie season, it's Rose. Luckily for the 20-year-old, Rose is already in his corner and making his voice heard.

While speaking with Natalie Spala of NBC 5 Chicago, the former MVP offered up some words of wisdom about how to work through some early struggles.

“Caleb, I know he’ll be watching this, wait until after 25 games," Rose instructed. "Every pro knows, or every OG that you be around… they will tell you, can’t assess your team [until] after 25 games."

“So, after those 25 games, you go back to the drawing board, and you figure out how [to] attack the game and work on your flaws, because every rookie has flaws.”

Despite the brutal knee injury early in his career, Rose logged 15 seasons in the NBA and made his way on to six different franchises. He knows the difference between a good and a bad team.

In this case, Rose offers a clear response to Chicago's brutal start. At 1-7, the Bulls are tied for the worst record in the NBA and sit alongside the Milwaukee Bucks in last place in the Eastern Conference. Granted, they have faced a gauntlet, with six of their first nine games coming against the Celtics, Knicks, and 76ers.

But this start has clearly been weighing on the young rising star. After the second loss to Boston, Wilson had some interesting comments about coming to grips with a season heavy on losing.

“I know that this is gonna be the most I lose in my life," he said. "I’m in the NBA now, and we’re not the team that we want to be in the future…i mean, losing games doesn’t make you a loser, but your approach to losing games and your approach to basketball, how you play, is what makes you a loser.”

His showed some more agitation after the second Knicks loss on Thursday where he tallied just 5 points on 2-12 from the field, suggesting that it is difficult to be aggressive when you don't get the ball much to start the game.

So, Rose's advice to Wilson is simple: be patient.

The 25-game mark isn't an empty figure either, it's backed by history. During his rookie campaign in 2008-09, Rose's Bulls were 12-13 after the first 25 games. They went on to finish at exactly .500 at 41-41 and the No. 7 seed in the East.

Things may not turn around right away, as the Bulls are set for their second matchup with the Sixers on Sunday before hosting the Spurs on Wednesday. But after that they will see the Hawks, Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Nets, and Wizards, which will bring them to the 15-game mark, still ten off of when they'll know their true identity according to D-Rose.