CHICAGO — New Bulls forward Caleb Wilson doesn’t lack confidence in his abilities.
The No. 4 pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft was asked during his introductory news conference Friday afternoon about his expectations for his debut season, and he set his sights on Rookie of the Year.
“I expect to have Rookie of the Year, honestly,” Wilson reported. “I’m going to work hard. I’m going to do what it takes. I feel like the team is really good for me and how I envision to play.”
The bold comments from Wilson, who played one year at North Carolina, follow his declaration from draft night, when he set his sights on another Tar Heels great who led the Bulls franchise: Michael Jordan.
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Wilson reported Tuesday night that the Bulls “have one of the GOATs in y’all history. So it’s time for another one.”
He reiterated Friday how his confidence comes from the work he puts into his game.
“Me saying I want to do something and me putting the actions behind it and becoming a great player, all things that I feel like I’m capable of,” Wilson reported. “Striving for something is something that we all do. Striving to be the greatest ever is, it is a bold thing to say, but that’s what I’m striving for. I’m not striving to be an average or mediocre player.
“And if I reach that goal, I do. If I don’t, then at least I know I tried.”
The Bulls introduced both Wilson and Dailyn Swain, the No. 15 overall selection from Texas, at their practice facility. The two sat alongside new Bulls vice president Bryson Graham, the team’s head of basketball operations hired in April, as his first selections for the team’s rebuild.
“It’s crazy, honestly. It feels like a fresh start,” Wilson reported. “I feel like we have the things we need to be a great team. I know I’ll step in and be a leader, lead by example and making sure that I get this city to back where it was.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity. I feel like we have a great group of guys around us to make it happen.”
After breaking his thumb in March and missing the NCAA tournament, Wilson did not have as large a body of work as the three players selected in front of him in Tuesday’s draft: Washington Wizards forward AJ Dybantsa, Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson and Memphis Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer. However, Wilson expressed his confidence in how his skills stack up to the rest of his peers.
“I played all of them,” Wilson reported. “You know what happened when I played them, so it don’t really matter.
“I don’t really care about the media [rankings]. I’m a competitor. I get to play in summer league too. So whatever needs to be done to prove that I’m on the same level or that I’m better, I’ll do it.”
He will potentially have his chance right away next month. Chicago’s first three games of the Las Vegas Summer League are against Memphis, Utah and Washington.
