The Bulls Found A MONSTER: Caleb Wilson Is Coming For The League
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
I'm Going To Keep It A Buck...
This 2026 NBA Draft class?
It got some DAWGS.
I'm talking about the Darryn Petersons.
The AJ Dybantsas.
The Darius Acuff Jr.'s.
Cam Boozer.
These young fellas didn't show up to ask permission.
They showed up looking like they were trying to steal somebody's locker.
But let me tell y'all something.
There's one name that deserves a whole lot more love.
Caleb Wilson.
I've been saying it since he set foot in North Carolina.
This kid...
...is a DAWG.
Stop Sleeping On Caleb Wilson
Everybody loves talking about the flashy names.
I get it.
Peterson is special.
AJ Dybantsa is a walking mismatch.
Cam Boozer is polished beyond his years.
But Caleb Wilson?
He reminds me of a young Kevin Garnett.
Not because they're identical players.
Because of the motor.
The energy.
The edge.
The competitiveness.
The way he treats every loose ball like somebody stole his wallet.
The man plays basketball like somebody insulted his grandmother before tip-off.
That's the kind of fire coaches dream about.
Then He Went Absolutely Nuclear
And then...
Summer League happened.
Lord have mercy.
Wilson dropped 35 points in his NBA Summer League debut against Memphis.
On...
12-of-21 shooting
7-of-11 from three
6 rebounds
3 blocks
2 steals
It was the second-highest scoring debut in NBA Summer League history.
Excuse me...
WHERE THE HELL DID THAT SHOOTING COME FROM?
Because this man made seven threes...
He made SEVEN THREES.
Do you know how many threes he made during his entire college career at North Carolina?
Seven.
Not seven a game.
Seven.
TOTAL.
That's like your cousin telling everybody he can't cook...
...then showing up at Thanksgiving looking like Gordon Ramsay.
"I Could Shoot... It Just Wasn't My Role"
Now here's the part that had me laughing.
Wilson told reporters afterward:
"I could shoot in college. It just wasn't my role."
He explained that Carolina's offense simply didn't ask him to space the floor.
No beef with Hubert Davis.
No excuses.
Just honesty.
Then he hit us with something that tells you everything you need to know about this kid.
He's been getting up...
2,000 to 2,500 shots PER DAY for the last ten weeks.
PER DAY.
Ladies and gentlemen...
That ain't working out.
That's a basketball obsession.
That's Kobe Bryant alarm-clock behavior.
That's "the gym janitor knows your middle name" behavior.
If That Jumper Is Real...
Now here's the scary part.
Coming into the draft...
Everybody questioned his shooting.
Nobody questioned:
His athleticism.
His 7-foot wingspan.
His defensive versatility.
His rebounding.
His passing.
His motor.
The jumper was the mystery.
If Chicago just unlocked that piece?
Good Lord.
Now you're talking about a 6-foot-9 forward who can defend multiple positions, attack downhill, switch onto guards, protect the rim AND stretch the floor.
That's the kind of player every GM spends years trying to find.
ESPN also highlighted Wilson among the biggest early standouts from Summer League while evaluating this impressive rookie class.
That's The Difference Between Good... And Great
Anybody can talk about wanting greatness.
Everybody posts motivational quotes.
Everybody tweets "Mamba Mentality."
Very few people actually live it.
Getting up 2,500 shots every day is like a musician practicing scales until their fingers hurt or a boxer hitting the heavy bag until the gym lights shut off.
Eventually...
The work starts introducing itself before you ever say a word.
Translation?
The kid wants it.
Summer League Game No. 2 Didn't Change My Mind
Now yes...
He cooled off against Utah.
Wilson finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in Chicago's loss.
Guess what?
I don't care.
Because stars don't prove themselves with one hot shooting night.
They prove themselves with consistency...
Energy...
Defense...
Effort...
And Caleb Wilson checks every single one of those boxes.
Chicago... You Might've Got One
Look...
I'm not overreacting to Summer League.
I've watched enough basketball to know one game doesn't make a career.
But I also know talent when I see it.
I've been saying Caleb Wilson was special.
I'm saying it again.
The Bulls didn't just draft an athlete.
They drafted a competitor.
A worker.
A kid who cries before his first Summer League game because he's grateful to be back after a broken wrist...
...then turns around and drops 35 like somebody owed him money.
That's different.
That's not hype.
That's hunger.
Final Thoughts
Everybody is talking about Darryn Peterson.
Everybody is talking about AJ Dybantsa.
Everybody is talking about Cam Boozer.
Everybody is talking about Darius Acuff Jr.
And rightfully so.
They're all going to be stars.
But don't forget Caleb Wilson.
Because if that three-point shot is real...
If those 2,500 daily jumpers keep paying dividends...
If that relentless motor never cools off...
Chicago may have landed one of the biggest steals of this draft.
And if I'm the rest of the NBA?
I'm paying attention now.
Because Caleb Wilson isn't just coming.
He's coming for somebody's spot.
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