Caleb Wilson has spent the summer earning Kevin Garnett comparisons, and the Hall of Famer showed up in Las Vegas to see the Bulls rookie for himself. He left having handed Wilson a nickname pulled straight from his own career.
Garnett was courtside Thursday night for Wilson’s Summer League finale against the Lakers. The former Timberwolves and Celtics star has become the go-to comp for Wilson in recent months, and his presence read as a stamp of approval. He went a step further by reportedly coining Wilson the “Little Ticket,” a play on his own “Big Ticket” nickname, according to Amazon Prime’s Kristina Pink. That’s meaningful weight coming from a 15-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA pick.
The Performance That Backed It Up
Wilson gave Garnett something worth the trip. The No. 4 overall pick put up 21 points and 8 rebounds on 7-of-15 shooting, leaning on his finishing at the rim when his three-point shot wasn’t dropping. His signature sequence came in the second quarter: a two-handed post slam, then a pull-up three on the very next possession. He later erased a shot with a chase-down block that looked like vintage KG.
The Bulls lost the game, and the Lakers moved to 4-0 in Vegas. Wilson’s willingness to be there at all stood out. Top picks usually sit by the fourth Summer League game, but he pushed to keep playing and convinced Bryson Graham’s group to let him suit up one more time.
Wilson’s Own Take on the Comparison
The wrinkle is that Wilson was asked about the Garnett comps two days earlier, before the nickname, and he brushed them off. He said he sees some similarities but views himself as a much different player, and he doesn’t want to be measured against a Hall of Famer. His stated goal is to meet his own expectations rather than anyone else’s.
That answer came a day after he blocked five shots against the Jazz and the same day he posted 19 points against the Wizards, one of his most complete outings of the summer. The 19-year-old has held himself to his own standard since arriving in Chicago. Getting anointed by Garnett a couple of days later gave him something harder to shrug off.
