How were we all wrong about Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson?

Regardless of how much anyone probes, researches and scouts, some players will always break free of their pre-draft scouting reports and reinvent themselves.

Usually, though, it takes a few years, not a few days. Enter Caleb Wilson, the fourth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

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The 20-year-old has been thoroughly scouted. He’s been thoroughly analyzed. Everyone had an idea of who and what he’d be, and everyone seemed to largely agree on the following baseline:

Wilson would be an explosive power forward, with above-average athleticism, average length, an unreliable shot and solid-to-good defensive prowess.

Caleb Wilson has changed his outlook in a short time.

(Carmen Mandato via Getty Images)

At 6-foot-10 and 215 pounds, he was likely to become a one-position player, stuck at the 4 because his 7-1 wingspan is too short to act as the last line of defense, and his lacking perimeter game would keep him from earning minutes at the wing.

Well, scrap all of that.

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Wilson, who hit a grand total of seven 3-pointers at North Carolina, hit that same amount in his opening game July 10 at Las Vegas Summer League, starring in his new role for the Chicago Bulls.

He didn’t just hit them off the catch either. He dribbled himself into the majority of them and ended his four-game run in Las Vegas hitting 13 long-range shots on 41.9% accuracy.

Wilson’s handles and his on-ball creation also showcased new layers to his game, which none of us had seen during his time at UNC.

In many ways, Wilson is pulling a Bam Adebayo on us. The All-Star big man, as he came out of Kentucky, was viewed as a defensive player with severe offensive limitations, and now he’s one of the most fluid big-man ball-handlers in the game.

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Wilson is no longer a clear-cut power forward stuck in one position. He’s a wing. A big wing. That change is ridiculously important for both him and the Bulls. Instead of becoming a new-era Amar’e Stoudemire who relies on dominating within 10-15 feet of the basket, Wilson has completely changed his outlook.

Whatever comps we all used to make are now in the garbage, and we have to start over from the ground…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/how-were-we-all-wrong-about-chicago-bulls-rookie-caleb-wilson-154942361.html

Author : Morten Stig Jensen

Publish date : 2026-08-12 15:49:00

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