Tiago Splitter sounds off on Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson after brutal NBA debut
Last night, the NBA season officially kicked off. And boy, it was a brutal start for the Chicago Bulls.
No one expects them to win the Larry O’Brien this year, but fans were anticipating an exciting change from what has been a boring brand of basketball. The Bulls were routed by the Toronto Raptors, 135-92, and looked lost for all 48 minutes. It was a bad start to the Tiago Splitter era.
Chicago shot 4-for-36 from the three-point line, one of the worst season-opener percentages in NBA history. They also turned the ball over 27 times, with nine of those coming from rookie Caleb Wilson.
Coach Splitter defended Wilson in the post-game presser, but acknowledged the turnover issues. It was his NBA debut, so grace is expected, but he has to be better.
Regarding Caleb Wilson’s 9 TOs, Tiago Splitter said he was playing too much in crowds and not passing when he had two or three defenders near him. Also cited this is what Toronto’s defense does, plays physically and turns you over.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 22, 2026
Toronto does have a suffocating defense, and it got even better with the addition of Kawhi Leonard. The length and athleticism that the Raptors have were a bad matchup for the Bulls, as they handled the pressure about as poorly as they could’ve.
They’ll have a chance to bounce back on Saturday when they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks.
Should Chicago Bulls fans be worried about Caleb Wilson?

The short answer? Absolutely not.
Caleb Wilson was raw coming out of college, and it showed in his debut. As Splitter mentioned, he looked overwhelmed when multiple defenders surrounded him. Perhaps he had the ball in his hands a bit too much, especially in his debut.
Fans need to give the kid time; this is a developmental year. He’ll have plenty of chances to make mistakes and show flashes of greatness. It was a tough assignment for him, guarding Scottie Barnes and Leonard, as well as the rest of their long wings. Wilson had the worst plus-minus from a rookie in NBA history, with a staggering -45 while he was on the court.
Caleb Wilson omfg
pic.twitter.com/KoaWU0gr2j
— BullsMuse (@BullsMuse_) October 22, 2026
However, he made a few nice plays like the one linked above. His ability to get to the rim with ease was noted, albeit that clip was against most of the Raptors’ bench.
The more concerning issue was the play of Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. You expect those guys to play much better than they did, especially Giddey. For Wilson to develop the way this team wants him to, he will need better support from those around him.
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The post Tiago Splitter sounds off on Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson after brutal NBA debut appeared first on ChiCitySports.
Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/tiago-splitter-sounds-off-chicago-bulls-caleb-wilson-bad-nba-debut/
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