Caleb Wilson Hit Five Threes. Memphis Still Won. That's Preseason for You.

Caleb Wilson put up 21 points, hit five threes, and Chicago still lost 104–100 to Memphis. That's exactly why I don't wanna hear somebody use a preseason win-loss record as a full scouting report. You can come out of a loss with something valuable. And you can win a game while still having things to clean up.

Wilson's shot-making is real. The rest of the evaluation ain't finished.

Wilson finished 7-for-17 from the floor, and five of those makes came from beyond the arc. What interests me isn't just the total. He went from a quiet first half to making three threes in the third quarter, and he knocked down a late one that brought Chicago within striking distance. That's a young player making an adjustment inside the same game. To me, that matters more than some highlight montage pretending he dominated for forty-eight minutes.

But let's not get lazy about what it means. Scoring 21 in an exhibition doesn't answer how he'll handle teams scouting him every night, how quickly he makes reads when the first option gets taken away, or whether his defense holds up against starters. I'm encouraged. I'm not handing him anything.

Boozer didn't need 32 minutes to show me something.

Cam Boozer only played 12 minutes and still gave Memphis 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. That's a much smaller window than Wilson had, so comparing the point totals straight up would be ridiculous. I wanna see the decisions. Three assists in that kind of run tell me he was involved in more than just getting up shots.

Ty Jerome led Memphis with 16, and GG Jackson II added 14. You need those details because this wasn't some one-on-one rookie showcase where two lottery picks played against each other and everybody else stood still. Memphis won the basketball game with contributions across the group.

Chicago had extra chances. Memphis made its chances count.

Here's the number I can't overlook: Chicago grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and still couldn't get over the line. The Bulls also shot 28-for-40 on free throws. That's twelve misses in a four-point loss. Not every miss carries the same weight, but free points left behind become a big conversation when the margin is that small.

Memphis wasn't spotless either. The Grizzlies turned it over 21 times, and Chicago made a real push in the third. But Memphis shot better from the field, protected its lead in the fourth, and got the final result. That balance matters. I'm not gonna pretend a win was a perfect performance just because the clock said zero.

So yeah, Memphis won. Chicago lost. But if the only thing you learned is which number was bigger on the scoreboard, I think you missed the more interesting part of preseason basketball.