Bulls End Preseason Strong: Caleb Wilson Does It All, Jordan Hawkins Alert? More

Friday night felt like our best glimpse at who the Chicago Bulls want to be offensively. To be sure, there are several reasons for that, but arguably the biggest is what happened over and over and over again in the paint!

In the wise words of the late Stacey King: Meet me at the rim, and don't be late. The Bulls were torching the Minnesota Timberwolves with timely cutting and overwhelming athleticism. Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, Dailyn Swain, and Jaylin Sellers all rocked the rim, with several doing it multiple times.

Buzelis jumped off the screen most. The third-year player connected on a pair of extremely impressive alley-oops with Tre Jones. The first came off what was essentially a slip screen that saw some bad communication from the Timberwolves. Buzelis got a step on his defender, eventually flying to snag the perfect feed and give us our first Bulls poster of 2026-27.

The next alley-oop connection came later in the third quarter when Jones found Buzelis racing up the floor. The backup guard tossed the alley-oop from halfcourt, which Buzelis threw down with ease.

Not only were the two dunks a great reflection of how impactful Buzelis can be, but they were also a great reminder of what having Tre Jones back means for this squad. When you're building around such high-powered wings, you need a set-up man on the floor at all times.

Sellers also deserves his own special callout. Twice in the open floor the guard glided down the floor before rising for an emphatic one-handed slam. Ever since Summer League, the former Providence guard has shown fans why the Bulls made him their first UDFA signing. Forget the obvious athletic gifts; Sellers plays with a true edge that just seems to make sense with the identity the Bulls are trying to build.

Now, would I go as far as calling Sellers "Baby Derrick Rose?" Probably not ... but Caleb Wilson is still learning!

Caleb Wilson Ends On a High Note

Caleb Wilson's final preseason game was a good reflection of what fans should expect to see in the coming weeks. The rookie finished with 16 points (7-15 FG, 2-5 3PT), 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. A handful of his made buckets were all about making sure he was in the right place at the right time.

His first bucket came after Jalen Smith corralled an offensive rebound. Wilson started to shift toward the open lane in the middle of the floor, only to explode toward the rim for a one-dribble, two-handed dunk. He got there in the blink of an eye.

To end the first quarter, he had one of his best plays of the preseason. After driving, spinning, and attempting to finish through traffic, his shot bounced off the back of the rim. Wilson proceeded to stay with the shot, quickly grabbing his own miss and slamming it through the rim. It's that mix of pop and extra effort that stood out so much at UNC.

But don't forget the other end of the floor! Wilson had two huge blocks on the night – one with both hands! This team may lack some strength down low, but he and Buzelis are always a threat to deter some shots in the paint.

With all that said, the quietly essential part of Wilson's game this preseason has been his passing. He finished with at least 3 assists for the third time this preseason. Wilson has talked countless times about how this is an underrated aspect of his game, and the Bulls need that to be the case, given how much they clearly want to put the ball in his hands.

Likewise, the offensive identity they're trying to construct is built around playing uptempo and making quick decisions. They dished out 34 assists against the Timberwolves, doing an excellent job of sharing the wealth and keeping the defense on a swivel. Wilson was a big part of that.

Hello, Jordan Hawkins!

Chicago Bulls fans got their best look yet at newest two-way guard Jordan Hawkins.

The former Bryson Graham lottery pick in New Orleans fell out of favor with the franchise after some lackluster production. Nevertheless, his three-point stroke remains very intriguing, especially for a Bulls team that needs to surround its young core with shooting. Does that mean we should expect Hawkins to see significant minutes in the near future? Not necessarily, but it's not out of the question that he convinces a rebuilding Bulls team to give him a shot.

Hawkins played 19 minutes of action against Minnesota and finished with 14 points on 4-5 shooting from behind the arc. He also added 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals to the box score. Yes, he benefitted from playing a makeshift Timberwolves team, as did everyone. But that's still an encouraging game!

If Buddy Hield ever has to miss any time, one has to wonder if Tiago Splitter would brush off Hawkins. There are worse replacements to have sitting at the end of the bench!

As Dan Hurley would say: Free Hawk!

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X and Facebook for the latest news