When noting the performances by the lottery picks at this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, it is safe to say that this year’s draft class has lived up to the hype. Among these players, however, Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson demands particular attention.
As the No. 4 pick in the draft, Caleb Wilson was already viewed as a promising young player, with some even rating him as the player with the highest ceiling in the draft. As noteworthy as this is, Wilson’s work ethic and commitment to improving his game have been far more impressive.
During a recent interview, the Bulls’ forward shared details about his daily workout routine. When revealing that his workout involves shooting almost 2,500 shots each day, he noted:
“It’s not like I’m changing anything like that. You get more confidence when you know you’ve put in the work.”
When asked whether this was similar to his workout routine in college, the forward responded:
“No, I didn’t really have the time. I had to go to class. It’s different. I had to be a student-athlete, so I didn’t have the time to do that. That’s what’s good about the NBA: it’s just your job.”
In a follow-up question, Caleb Wilson was asked when he shifted his focus toward improving his shooting. He commented:
“Right when I broke my thumb. I couldn’t move it, but it was kind of straight, so I could always hold the ball and get a bunch of form shots. I guess that’s mechanical. About three weeks, I could just do that, and then I started ripping out my shot. I mean, that’s what I knew I needed to work on going into the NBA.”
Despite being viewed as a subpar shooting threat going into the Draft Combine, the forward remained confident that his shooting ability would translate to the NBA. Having taken up the challenge to prove several naysayers wrong, the 19-year-old seems well on his way.
Caleb Wilson’s commitment to excellence already seems to be paying off. In his debut outing, the forward recorded a huge 35-point performance to go with five rebounds, two steals, and three blocks on 12-21 shooting from the field (7-11 from 3PT). Although Wilson’s monster debut was tarnished by a tough 97-96 loss at the hands of Cameron Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies, the forward undoubtedly turned some heads.
The 19-year-old’s impressive perimeter shooting in his first Summer League game could be viewed as an outlier at the current juncture, especially since he only shot 25.9% from three-point range in college. Still, the confidence to attempt 11 three-pointers is noteworthy, to say the least.
Coming off a strong debut performance, the Chicago Bulls will look forward to what Caleb Wilson has in store for them in the upcoming games. Given that he could become a vital part of their core, the Bulls will be deeply invested in his development.
