CHICAGO (104.3 The Score) – New Bulls forward Caleb Wilson never lacks for charisma or confidence, as he again displayed at his introductory press conference in Chicago on Friday.
“I’m striving to be the best player that has ever played the game,” Wilson said, three days after the Bulls made him the No. 4 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
For the record, Wilson did much more than just make bold proclamations. He pledged to put the work in and stressed that basketball must be the main focus all the time if he and the rebuilding Bulls are to set a “great culture.” That’s certainly a desire of new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham, who early in his Bulls tenure has acknowledged the rebuild will take time and has talked as much about off-the-court aspects as he has basketball fit on the floor.
In Wilson and Texas wing Dailyn Swain, whom the Bulls selected at No. 15 overall on Tuesday about an hour after they took Wilson, Graham believes he has a pair of young players to set the tone.
“They are of the utmost high-character, highly competitive people,” Graham said. “I’m going to keep on preaching that. It sounds like I’m beating the same drum, but that is extremely, extremely important to us.
“It’s just the start of something really, really special here.”
For his part, Wilson intends to be the frontman of whatever the Bulls become.
“I know I’ll step in and be a leader,” Wilson said. “I’ll lead by example and make sure I get this city back to where it was. I’m really excited for the opportunity, and I feel like we have a great group of guys around us to make it happen. I’m excited to get to work, honestly. It’s time to go.
“I just love the game. I have a lot of fun with it. But I want to be legendary, I want to be remembered after I finish playing. That’s kind of what pushes me every day to be a great player.”
How the 6-foot-10, 211-pound Wilson will be utilized by new head coach Tiago Splitter remains a question. Wilson is set to be the Bulls’ long-term answer at power forward, though he’ll need to put weight on and add strength to handle the physicality of the NBA, as most rookies need to.
On the offensive end, Wilson is terrific at attacking the basket and finishing once he’s there, often with dunks. That skill should translate quickly to the NBA when others create for him.
While noting that God has given him “everything I need to be great,” Wilson also acknowledged he needs to spend time refining his skill set. As he enters the NBA, he’s more of a play finisher than a play creator.
“I’m just a basketball player,” Wilson said. “I’m going to do what it takes to win – getting the rebound, pushing it, creating and initiating transition, making sure I’m good screener, coming off ball screens, just doing what it takes to be a good basketball player. I try not to box myself into a role, and that’s kind of how Tiago envisions it as well. Just making sure you have the opportunity to play basketball freely but within a little bit structure.”
Wilson, who will turn 20 in July, was a second-team All-American at North Carolina last season, when he averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals in 31.3 minutes per game. Now, he’s the centerpiece of a new Bulls era under a new regime.
With that in mind, Wilson welcomes the expectations, many of which he’s setting himself.
“Being a good team has a big part to do with me,” Wilson said. “If I want to make something happen, it’s me. It’s not the front office or anything like that. It’s me on the court making this stuff happen. My whole thing is just finding a group of guys that believe in me and are going to let me play. I feel like that’s all I really need, and that’s what they told me they needed.
“It’s a great city and a great market. I feel like the NBA is better when Chicago is good.”
Cody Westerlund is an editor and reporter for 104.3 The Score.
