Bulls' one-two punch of Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis could be 'a problem'

The scouting report was spot on.

Early in Sunday’s game with the Bulls and the Nuggets tied, Denver watched Josh Giddey kick the ball out to the right wing and into the hands of bouncy rookie Caleb Wilson.

Yes, the No. 4 overall pick has the three-pointer in his bag, but he also has a 40-inch vertical leap and the desire to put any opposing defenders on a poster.

Veteran Denver wing Aaron Gordon closed hard, and as Wilson drove around him to the right it was obvious that the pre-game film study told Gordon’s teammates to help build a wall. Cam Johnson left Isaac Okoro in the corner and Nikola Jokic collapsed off Giddey to help in front of the rim.

Call it the quick maturation of a 20-year-old.

Wilson could have crashed the wall. Heck, he could have attempted to jump over it. Why not try to put the pelt of a league MVP like Jokic in the trophy case?

Instead, he took advantage of the attention he brought, kicked the ball out to Matas Buzelis, and watched his 21-year-old teammate nail the open three-pointer.

Another reminder of what could be.

The Bulls entered training camp hoping that they have started the rebuild with two pillars to put the foundation on, and through the first three preseason games there has to be a feeling that hope has a chance for reality.

Buzelis said weeks ago that he felt like he and Wilson could be “a problem” for the rest of the league this season. Too early to flat-out declare that, but it’s at least at growing dilemma status.

Case in point came just a few minutes after the Buzelis three, as Okoro over-pursued Jamal Murray in the corner in a closeout and watched the guard go by him towards the rim. Murray meet “a problem.”

Wilson not only came off his man for the backside help but met Murray in the paint and emphatically rejected the shot attempt, doing so with his left hand.

The Nuggets ended up winning the game as a bunch of deep-bench guys determined the outcome in the fourth, but Buzelis finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and a block, while Wilson finished with 17 points, five assists, four rebounds and a block.

In the three preseason games — which hold very little water in the big picture — Wilson leads the Bulls in scoring with 17.7 points per game, while Buzelis (who turned his ankle against Memphis and had a short night) has averaged 11 points in just 20 minutes per game, while also leading the team with 1.3 blocks a night.

A one-two punch that combined is the same age as LeBron James.

While there is still no reason for executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham to sleep easy at night, he can at least feel good that there are two corner pieces to the puzzle that have been identified.

Not only have Buzelis and Wilson built chemistry off the court — evident by all the buddy videos they posted on social media this summer — but there is growing proof that there is chemistry building on the court.

Yes, they have some redundant skillsets, but NBA teams can’t have enough athletic wings who play above the rim on both ends of the floor and have shown an ability to space the floor. Coach Tiago Splitter will take five of those guys.

And the good news for the Bulls is they still have a handful of practices left and two preseason games before the regular season tips off.

Any minutes that Buzelis and Wilson can play together are important minutes. The Bulls have known that since Wilson was drafted. The rest of the league is finding that out.