He's ready to lead.
The hype was already high for former North Carolina star Caleb Wilson entering the NBA after the Chicago Bulls selected him with the fourth overall pick. His showing in the NBA Summer League only added to that, as there was a strong argument that Wilson was head and shoulders better than any other rookie in this class.
Of course, what he did in Summer League doesn't necessarily mean he'll be perfect in the NBA, but Wilson showed a lot of growth and, fortunately, he was healthy.
After dealing with some injuries at North Carolina, part of the reason why the Tar Heels didn't have the season they were looking for last year, it was good to see the young man was back and ready to go.
As he gets ready for the NBA, there's a lot that's going to have to change in his game. The NBA is much more difficult than college basketball, and Wilson seems to understand that. He spoke about how he expects his rookie season to go and how the practices are much different than what he dealt with in college.
‘‘I feel like, as a rookie, people respect action more than they respect words,’’ Wilson said, per The Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘I’ll let my actions lead, and eventually I’ll blend in talking. But my whole goal is letting everyone know what the tone is by showing what I’m going to do. That’s how I’ve always led.
‘‘I won’t say where I fit in right now. I feel like, as a player, I’m going to be very important to our future and what we’re doing now. So I just go out there and let it happen.’’
"I mean, I felt like it was really competitive, honestly," Wilson said, per the team. "One thing that I can only really measure it to is college practice. We were really intense out there. It was a lot of communication. It was really physical out there. Also, we had people diving on the floor for loose balls. I feel like that's just like a really good sign to see, and I feel like it's a culture setter.”
This Bulls team is expected to be below average, but looking at the talent they have on both ends of the floor, there is reason to believe they can be decent.
Wilson will have to be the biggest factor in all of that, and if he takes a leap into a star-caliber player instantly in the NBA, that would be the best possible sign for Chicago.
