PHILADELPHIA — Caleb Wilson is a big believer in momentum. Specifically when it applies to his opponents.
The Chicago Bulls rookie never wants to allow the opposing team to rack up too much positive energy. One good play is manageable. Two in a row is an issue. Any more becomes a pattern — and a problem. Games are lost when the opponent gets too confident.
That’s why, early in the first quarter of Monday’s 126-107 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Wilson took a bad shot. He had to quiet the crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena after LeBron James threw down a dunk in transition on the previous play. Echoes from the excited roar still rumbled through the arena.
There were plenty of reasons Wilson’s shot wasn’t the best option on the floor. It was early in the shot clock. Jaylen Brown’s feet were set to block Wilson path. The Bulls hadn’t even initiated an action yet.
But Wilson pulled up anyway — because, sometimes, the best shot on the court is the one that shuts a team up. When the shot went up, Brown extended his full wingspan, fingertips stretching toward the ball, but it was a fruitless attempt as Wilson’s first 3-pointer of the night sank home.
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Monday’s entire game was defined by a futile effort to quiet the cacophony that surrounded James. This is the new reality of facing the 76ers, who retooled their roster with the offseason additions of James and Brown to a core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Some teams offer a one-two punch. The 76ers are more likely to treat their opponents like a speed bag, sending blow after blow with a deep roster packed with past, current and future All-Stars. It was a welcome test for the Bulls’ young core.
Results were mixed. Wilson did what he could. He planted both palms on James’ chest and dropped his head parallel to his sternum in an attempt to prevent James from running through a screen. He punched the ball out of Edgecombe’s hands and took it coast to coast for a transition slam.
He palmed a pass away from James, then flung a low-post pass to set up Matas Buzelis for a bucket. He hit nothing but net to beat the buzzer with a 3, cutting the deficit to five points at halftime.
The toughest trials came on defense. Sometimes Wilson took James so Buzelis could take Brown. Other times the pair swapped. Occasionally Wilson needed to pick up Maxey instead. Noa Essengue sized up to take on Embiid for a few short stints. None of these assignments were easier than the other — just different.
Buzelis struggled again, logging more turnovers (five) than points (four) after racking up three early fouls that limited his production. The loss marked the forward’s worst outing of the season.
“I’m not overreacting in any type of way,” Buzelis said. “I’ll figure it out, man. It’s a mental game, 80% mental, 20% physical. I’ll be just fine. I just need to get it going. Defensively, offensively. Trust me, I’ll be just fine.”
The earnest effort of the youngest Bulls players paid off in spurts. They briefly led by four in the second quarter. Wilson scored a team-high 24 points.
But the loss also highlighted the wide chasm separating promise and true stardom. Wilson, Buzelis and Co. will spend the rest of this season attempting to cross that divide.
Here are three more takeaways from the loss.
1. Running away
The Bulls want to run. But it’s hard to run with teams like this — especially Edgecombe, one of the most buoyant guards in the NBA’s next generation. The 76ers happily matched the pace set by the Bulls, scoring six of their first seven points in transition.
Coach Tiago Splitter took his own measures to sustain the pace of play. He used 12 players in the first half, giving the Bulls more versatility and allowing players to catch quick rests through shorter rotations. The 76ers ultimately outscored the Bulls in transition by only a 29-25 margin.
2. 3-point shooting
The Bulls are the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA. And it seems to be trending worse, not better. They entered Monday with a 28.1% conversion rate, yet they take the third-most shots from deep in the league, a pattern that promotes an ugly style of play predicated on misses (and more misses, and more misses, and more …)
Things didn’t improve much in Philadelphia. Norman Powell’s first attempt from the top of the arc missed the rim completely, thumping sadly against the backboard. Wilson made four 3s; the rest of the team combined for six. The Bulls finished 10-for-37 (27%) behind the arc, their fifth game of the season below 30%.
3. Tiago Splitter reflects on LeBron James’ longevity
It has been 12 years since Splitter last faced James on the court in the NBA Finals, winning a title with the San Antonio Spurs over James and the Miami Heat. And Splitter knows exactly what he would have said to anyone who tried to tell him that, more than a decade later, the pair would face off again, this time as coach versus player: “You’re crazy.”
Splitter and James were born two days apart. At 41, James is the oldest active player in the NBA. He played 31 minutes Monday, tallying 15 points and nine assists. He also appeared to take a sip from a fan’s glass of wine during the first half, perhaps best encapsulating his late-career nonchalance.
“LeBron is unbelievable,” Splitter said. “To see him playing and competing at this level, looking at him doing what he does, it’s unbelievable.”