The Chicago Bulls didn’t leave Memphis with a win, but Caleb Wilson still walked out of the preseason meeting with the loudest moment of the night.
In a 104-100 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on October 10, the Bulls’ first-round pick turned the final minute into a social-media clip. With Chicago down five and under a minute left, Wilson came off the left corner along the arc, pump-faked Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and sent the Grizzlies defender stumbling to the floor before drilling a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one possession.
The play spread quickly online, with fans reacting to the move and to Wilson’s bigger second-half surge.
“Caleb Wilson is already making waves with his elite scoring, rebounding, and defensive versatility. The future is looking bright!”
“I can’t lie, this kid is generational.”
“Caleb Wilson flipping a quiet first half into 20 after the break is the stuff you can only train for in practice, not fake in a game.”
“Caleb, that man has family.”
“Oh wow, he made him fall first to get a clear shot.”
Wilson’s night started slowly. He scored just one point in 15 first-half minutes, then flipped the script after halftime and poured in 20 of his 21 points in the second half. He added four rebounds and one steal, finishing 7-for-17 from the field and 5-for-11 from three.
He nearly had an even bigger finish. With less than five seconds left, Wilson got a look at a lead-taking three and missed, leaving the Bulls short in the end. Afterward, he explained why he went for the tough shot.
“We’re all trying to go home. Trying to end the game right there… I’m going for it all, every time,” Wilson confidently said.
The Bulls’ loss didn’t erase the impression Wilson made. His second-half scoring burst, the ankle-breaking sequence on Prosper, and the poise he showed in crunch time gave Chicago fans a glimpse of what he can bring this season.
Wilson and the Bulls head to Denver to face the Nuggets on Sunday night, October 11.
In Other News...
Paolo Banchero Just Weighed In On Cameron Boozers Early NBA Impression
Cameron Boozers first preseason look against Orlando offered a useful early snapshot for Memphis, and it came with some encouragement from the other side. In a matchup with the Magic, the Grizzlies rookie scored 16 points as he shared the floor with Paolo Banchero, giving Memphis a glimpse of how his game can translate against NBA-level size and pace before the season begins.
Banchero also came away impressed after seeing Boozer during Orlandos training camp, pointing to the rookies poise and the way he carried himself in a pro setting. For the Grizzlies, that kind of early praise matters because it fits the profile they were hoping for when they added him, with the bigger question now being how quickly that calm, efficient approach can turn into a real rotation role. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Get An Edey Boost As Frontcourt Questions Still Linger
Zach Edey is set for another preseason run when Memphis faces the Chicago Bulls, and this time the Grizzlies expect him to handle a larger workload than he did in his first exhibition appearance. Tuomas Iisalo confirmed the plan as Memphis continues sorting out its frontcourt mix ahead of the regular season, with every minute in these games carrying a little more weight as the rotation takes shape.
The injury picture around the front line is still not fully settled, though. Isaiah Stewart is dealing with a moderate left ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, leaving Memphis to keep tabs on his progress while it waits for more clarity on how the big-man group will look once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies New Core Already Has One All-Star Debate Taking Shape
The Grizzlies young core is already getting early All-Star scrutiny, and for good reason. Memphis has two front-line pieces in Cameron Boozer and Zach Edey drawing attention, with Boozer bringing the kind of rookie impact that quickly gets people talking and Edey continuing to build a case as one of the teams most important interior anchors. With the Western Conference looking a little thinner than usual, there is at least a plausible path for Memphis to turn promise into recognition sooner than expected.
Still, the race for those spots is crowded, and the NBAs new All-Star format only adds another layer to the debate. Edeys underlying performance numbers have been strong enough to keep him in the conversation, while Boozer has the buzz that often follows a player whose rise feels ahead of schedule. The question for Memphis is whether one of them can turn that momentum into a true league-wide breakthrough before the rest of the field closes the door. [Read more 🡒]