Bulls Bench Rookie Forward After Knicks Loss

Chicago Bulls coach Tiago Splitter removed rookie forward Caleb Wilson from the game against the New York Knicks before the end of the third quarter. The decision followed a performance that Splitter described as lacking in both offensive production and defensive effort. Wilson sat out the final two periods as the Bulls fell to another defeat, extending a rough start to the 2026-27 campaign.

Splitter explained the move as a necessary lesson in durability for the 20-year-old. "You got to be more resilient," Splitter said. "The game is long and I try to put myself in his shoes. Caleb probably has never been in this situation in his life. He’s always been on the winning side, winning games, and now you’ve got to be resilient even when you’re down 20, 30, 40 (points), it doesn’t matter. It’s a learning experience for sure."

The coach’s assessment of Wilson’s background is accurate. The forward has not spent a full season in a losing record. As a freshman at the University of North Carolina, Wilson played on a team that finished with a 19-5 record. That squad endured only one two-game losing streak before Wilson required season-ending surgery on his left hand.

In high school, Wilson played for Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, where he helped secure the program’s first Georgia state championship. The team went 27-4 that year. Wilson scored 33 points in the title game. Across his previous two years of competitive basketball, he experienced a total of two losses.

The Bulls now face a different reality. The team could record a tenth loss in eleven games when they play the Atlanta Hawks next week. That would represent a decline from the combined two losses Wilson faced in his prior two seasons.

Wilson acknowledged the shift in his environment. "It’s never been like this for me, but I’ve just got to figure out a way through it," Wilson said. "Never been through this my whole life."

The rookie also cited difficulties in maintaining rhythm due to limited touches in certain games. "It’s kind of difficult out there right now because some games it’s hard for me to get touches and things like that so I have to kind of figure out other ways to affect the game," Wilson said. "It’s hard to catch a rhythm that way but I’ll figure it out."

Veteran teammate Norman Powell offered support in the locker room following the loss. Powell noted that Wilson tends to shoulder the burden of the team’s performance individually when deficits grow. "I think he takes a lot on himself, especially when we get down, you know, shouldering it and trying to do it himself," Powell said. "It’s all about looking within yourself and figuring out how you can get better and help impact winning."

Powell added that expectations for the fourth overall pick were high, but the process of building a winning culture requires time. "Being the fourth pick and coming in here, people were looking at him to kind of flip the franchise and bring some entertaining basketball," Powell said. "It’s a lot to shoulder but you’re going to go through it."

Wilson expressed frustration with his early exit from the Knicks game. "Honestly, I feel like I should have kept playing more later in the game," Wilson said. "I was really frustrated. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again but if it does just keep playing through it."