Tiago Splitter made a point Wednesday night: Caleb Wilson can be the No. 4 overall pick, but that doesn’t mean the rookie gets a free pass.
Wilson was pulled late in the Chicago Bulls’ 135-105 loss to the Knicks after a rough stretch that seemed to frustrate him on the floor. The sequence that seemed to seal it came with 5:09 left, when Wilson, already showing signs of irritation, went to the bench and never came back.
The play that set it off started with Wilson trying to force a bounce pass in transition to a cutting Isaac Okoro while the Bulls were trailing 103-64. Miles McBride picked it off easily, OG Anunoby pushed the other way, and the Knicks quickly turned it into an open corner three for McBride.
On the next trip, Wilson had the ball again near the top of the key and chose to isolate against Anunoby. He dribbled to just inside the arc and fired a long two that bounced off.
After the Knicks missed a three, Wilson pushed the ball again, found Okoro near the dunker spot, and watched the veteran wing miss a layup. Wilson went after the offensive rebound, but the ball was knocked away and the Knicks took over.
By the time Chicago came back the other way, Wilson was gone from the action, with Adam Amin noting the rookie’s frustration on the Chicago Sports Network broadcast.
Splitter’s postgame message was direct.
“I think he didn’t have a great game," Splitter said. "He wasn’t doing the right things on offense or defense.
Body language. He’s got to get better.”
Wilson finished with 5 points on 2-12 shooting and three turnovers, his toughest outing as a Bull so far. It was also the first time he looked visibly dejected in a way that seemed to affect how he was playing, and Splitter wasn’t willing to let that slide.
“We’ve got be more resilient," Splitter said. "The game is long.
I try to put myself in their shoes. Caleb has never been in this situation in his life.
He’s always been on the winning side. Winning games.
Now, he has to be resilient and play hard even when you’re down 20, 30, of 40. It doesn’t matter.
So, it’s a learning experience for sure.”
Until Wednesday, Splitter had kept Wilson on the floor through every other blowout loss, using those minutes as part of the rookie’s education. This time, the lesson came from the bench.
That’s the bigger takeaway here: Wilson has been given a long runway, but not unlimited rope. The Bulls’ season is still young, and one ugly night doesn’t change the fact that he has been strong through his first eight games. But if he wants to grow into the kind of leader he wants to be, nights like this are part of the test.
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