Bulls Takeaways & Grades: Caleb Wilson Ices First Win of Season with 21 PTS on Bucks

The Chicago Bulls have their first win of 2026-27!

After a grisly start to the night, Caleb Wilson and several of the team's role players helped steal the momentum back from the Milwaukee Bucks to win 132-125. To be sure, it was tight most of the way, but that's what made closing things out all the more impressive! It's a valuable and positive learning experience for such a new team and young roster.

A Tale of Two Quarters

The first quarter of the Chicago Bulls' meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks made me wince. After watching this team get dominated by a far superior opponent in the Toronto Raptors, this felt like an opportunity to come out with a little more rhythm. Instead, the Bulls looked just as lost against a fellow rebuilding team.

Milwaukee was moving the ball with ease, assisting on nine of their first 11 made field goals in the opening frame. While the Bulls were at least penetrating the paint on the other end, they were repeatedly botching layups and spraying out to ice-cold shooters. They ended up shooting 7-27 in the first quarter with a 1-14 outing from downtown. This came after shooting just 4-36 from behind the arc in Toronto. The three-point concerns remain alive and well!

The Bucks eventually found themselves up by as much as 15 points, taking their first double-digit lead just minutes into the game. It truthfully felt like another blowout was on the horizon. But, to the Bulls' rare credit, they didn't allow flashbacks of Wednesday night to enter their heads.

Norman Powell started to act like the veteran leader the Bulls need him to be. He would finish with 19 points in the first half, going 7-7 from the charity stripe in the second quarter alone. If the offense is going to look this out-of-sorts to begin the year, Powell has to be aggressive and force the issue at times. It may be the only way to keep the Bulls within striking distance on certain nights.

With that said, what really brought the Bulls back into the game was the bench mob. This team has slightly better depth than meets the eye, and it showed up big-time in the second quarter. With Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro, Buddy Hield, Noa Essengue, and Leonard Miller on the floor, the team was finally able to turn some defense into offense. The transition playmaking led to a 16-0 run that gave them a 55-51 lead. It was their first since starting the night up 2-0, thanks to a Jalen Smith lay-in.

If the Bulls are looking for a proof of concept, this second quarter is the best they have had thus far. The team was pushing the tempo, making quick decisions, and even rotating well on defense to force the Bucks into some tough shots. They would finish the frame with 44 points, shooting 65.2 percent from the field and throwing 12 dimes. Ball movement!

Getting Into the Paint

Tiago Splitter should be proud of his young team.

After a dismal shooting effort to begin the game, the Chicago Bulls didn't let their second-quarter momentum die. They came out of the half with a far more aggressive mindset, doing a much better job of putting consistent pressure on the rim.

Chicago went 17-22 in the restricted area over the final two quarters. They also shot 18-20 from the charity stripe, getting a combined 10-11 effort from Caleb Wilson and Tre Jones. Did they still get a little three-point happy at times? Sure, and a 5-20 showing in the second half remains concerning. But this young group recognized what was working and upped their physicality.

Overall, the Bulls ended up finishing with a 62-44 advantage in the paint. This came after being just +8 at halftime in that department.

Who Didn't Play?

One game after playing all 13 of his 14 available players, Tiago Splitter kept the rotation much tighter in Milwaukee. A big reason for this was likely the success of his bench unit, which featured a lineup of Tre Jones, Buddy Hield, Isaac Okoro, Leonard Miller, and Noa Essengue making a legitimate difference. This second unit outscored the Bucks' bench a whopping 59-35.

Still, it was surprising to see Splitter sit both Zach Collins and Dailyn Swain for the entirety of the game. The former is currently serving as the primary backup center with Nic Claxton out and Jalen Smith starting. Nevertheless, it appears Splitter preferred a small-ball lineup with Leonard Miller and Noa Essengue holding down the fort in the frontcourt. Who saw that coming from a true big man turned head coach!?

As for the latter, Swain was given the green light to return after sitting out the opener with an illness. With the focus on development this season, it felt likely that he would at least get a taste of action. Swain was used in the rotation during the preseason as well. The rookie will have to wait to make his debut, however, with sights now set on tomorrow's home opener against the Wizards.

5 Bulls Player Grades

Tre Jones – A-
Stats: 11 PTS (4-8 FG, 5-5 FT), 8 AST, 2 STL

Two games in, Tre Jones has been the Chicago Bulls' best guard. He did an excellent job leading the second unit and helping ensure this young group played to Tiago Splitter's preferred identity. This included going right after a rookie in Brayden Burries to put continuous pressure on the rim in the second half.

Caleb Wilson – B+
Stats: 21 PTS (7-14 FG, 5-6 FT), 6 REB, 1 AST, 2 BLK

As far as second NBA games go, this was a very promising one for Caleb Wilson. He had the best quarter of his career in the third, dropping 12 of his 21 points with a 5-7 shooting performance that included two made threes. Instead of recklessly driving into traffic, Wilson was far more careful about picking his spots and striking in transition. Whether it was nailing a trailing three, dive cutting for the athletic layup, or filling space for the putback slam, it was a far more mature performance offensively.

Most importantly, though, Wilson showed his clutch gene. He iced the game at the free throw line with four straight makes. Huge.

Leonard Miller – B
Stats: 19 PTS (7-11 FG), 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK

Extend Leonard Miller ASAP. The forward continues to impress and served as a true second-unit difference-maker this afternoon. The Milwaukee Bucks struggled to stay in front of him, as he was extremely decisive on his drives to the rim and had some strong finishes.

Tiago Splitter has called him a "random" player in the past, and this was on full display in Milwaukee. He scored in countless ways and did an adequate job serving as a small-ball five. Speaking of which, his best moment of the evening came on the defensive end. Tyler Herro drove to the rim with around 3 minutes to go in a tight game, and Miller flew in for the block off the backboard.

Noa Essengue – C+
Stats: 4 PTS, 3 STL, 1 BLK

We just witnessed easily the best game of Noa Essengue's young career. Tiago Splitter, somewhat shockingly, made Essengue a member of the rotation, giving him his first taste of minutes early in the first quarter. As the game went on, the 19-year-old made a greater and greater impact. He had countless hustle plays, which included three steals, an epic block, and a big-time dunk. The box score might not show it, but Essengue's fingerprints were all over the game, particularly in the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Matas Buzelis – D
Stats: 7 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 BLK

This was a game to forget for Matas Buzelis. While he did fight on the glass, Buzelis shot a mere 2-9 from the field and finished a -10. The forward just couldn't find a rhythm, which is why Tiago Splitter ultimately benched him in favor of his second unit studs down the stretch.

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