Although the Bulls are, statistically, one of the worst teams in NBA history, this is a season for optimism in Chicago. And that is down to one man: Caleb Wilson. The emergence of the No. 4 pick in the Draft has given the Illinois side the franchise-player prospect they have been searching for so long, and in doing so has got fans fully invested in a year in which games are counted almost entirely in defeats.
Now, however, some considerably tougher weeks lie ahead.
The Bulls have confirmed that Wilson suffered a fracture in his right hand in Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs and has had to undergo surgery that will keep him off the court for a while. The franchise says in its statement that he will be reassessed in three weeks, but everything points to the recovery period being at least somewhat longer.
Shams Charania, a journalist at ESPN, specifically mentions a period of between four and six weeks, which would put his return closer to the Christmas period and see him miss between 15 and 20 games. While that is not dramatic for a team with no competitive aspirations, it is a heavy blow for a project that was being built around the promising forward.
With 18.9 points and 6.2 rebounds, Caleb Wilson has begun the year not just as one of the form rookies, but as one of the leading figures for a Bulls side that seems destined to be his team from day one. With other key players showing far more doubts or performing less efficiently, he took the reins as soon as he arrived, and now he will leave a group that loses its main attraction somewhat bereft.
