Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson put up 23 points against the Celtics on Friday night, but Chicago still lost its NBA Cup matchup and fell to 1-5. Afterward, the former North Carolina star made it clear he isn’t about to get comfortable with losing.
Wilson finished with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and a steal in 31 minutes, and he knocked down 6 of his 11 three-point attempts, as first reported by ClutchPoints.
Owning the Slow Start
Per ClutchPoints, Wilson told reporters he has never been a loser and won’t ever accept losing, said it’s his job to be a leader on this team, and put much of the blame for Chicago’s start on himself, rookie or not. He also promised it won’t happen again.
The IAHHM Take
That’s a Carolina kid talking. Chicago took Wilson fourth overall in June, making him UNC’s first top-five pick since 2005 and the 56th first-round pick in Tar Heels history, according to GoHeels.com. He also arrived in the city Michael Jordan built saying he wants to be better than Mike. That’s a big bar, but you’d rather have a rookie who aims there than one who shrugs off a 1-5 start.
The number that should get the league’s attention is 6-of-11 from deep. If that jumper is real, Chicago has its centerpiece under coach Tiago Splitter, and these losses start to look like growing pains instead of a pattern. ACC products are already making noise across the league, with Cooper Flagg helping hand OKC its first loss this week.
Is Caleb Wilson already in the Rookie of the Year conversation?
Source: ClutchPoints
