Norman Powell Reveals Message to Young Bulls Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson

The Chicago Bulls signed veteran guard Norman Powell this summer to provide leadership and to mentor the team's next generation of young athletes. So far, he's already making an impact with Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson.

Buzelis and Wilson — who will be 22 and 20 when the season starts, respectively — are the most promising talents on the Bulls' roster. Buzelis is entering his third season and aiming to take a leap to become a rising star, while Wilson is looking to start his NBA career strong after Chicago selected him with the No. 4 overall draft pick this summer.

Powell, 33, is preparing to play his 12th professional season for his fifth NBA franchise. The former Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat guard has plenty of experience, from starting out in the G League to winning an NBA Championship, and from coming off the bench to being named an All-Star. Lead Bulls executive Bryson Graham believes that Powell can truly relate to everyone on his new team, which was a big reason why he signed the veteran in free agency.

Following Chicago's training camp practice on Tuesday, Powell revealed what his message to Buzelis and Wilson has been since he arrived in the Windy City. Head coach Tiago Splitter has emphasized aggressiveness on the defensive end, and Powell has kept that same intensity on the offensive end when it comes to mentoring the potential franchise cornerstones.

"I'm telling them to shoot the ball," Powell said. "If I'm not in the game or I'm watching from the sideline in a certain drill, and they're passing up shots, just the reinforcement to give them the confidence to attack or to take the open shot and to play their game. And I like it. I like them being aggressive. I think our playing style and how we want to play suits what their strengths are."

Much of what Powell says to Wilson is about adapting to the NBA game. He tells the former North Carolina star how to give his body the proper nutrition it needs, what it takes to be a professional and how to manage the day-to-day grind of being an NBA player.

For Buzelis, Powell focuses on tuning up some of the areas of Buzelis' game that he would like to improve. During Media Day, he told reporters that he had worked with Buzelis on his shooting form, follow-through and consistency. Powell added on Tuesday that Buzelis has also asked him questions about attacking and the different reads that he needs to make in transition.

Powell is a good person for Buzelis and Wilson to learn from. He's a 39.6% three-point shooter throughout his career and is coming off the most productive offensive stretch of his 11-year NBA career.

As the two look to emerge as vocal leaders in a young locker room, Powell seems to be the ideal candidate to mentor Buzelis and Wilson amid a rebuilding Bulls season.