Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson answers the bell after dealing with sore hip

The growing pains continue for Caleb Wilson.

At least on Wednesday, literally.

The Bulls’ prized rookie was questionable to answer the bell against the Spurs, dealing with a sore hip in the wake of the loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. It was enough of a concern that he needed to get through warmups, test it out, and then give the medical staff the nod that he was good to go.

Even so, it was a reminder to the Bulls that leading the team with 32.4 minutes per game was necessary for the development piece that the No. 4 overall draft pick needs, but maybe a stat they want to keep a little closer eye on for the next few games.

“We’ve got to be smart with him of course,” coach Tiago Splitter said of Wilson. “He’s playing a lot of minutes. Those minutes are important to his development, but we’ve also got to be smart with his body being young. I think there’s a false thought that when you’re young you can do whatever but that’s not true. You’ve got to get stronger, you’ve got to get your body prepared to face a season like the NBA, so we’ve got to be careful there and we’ve got to monitor it for sure.”

Wilson played 32 minutes against the 76ers and was coming off a game in New York in which he had a soft benching because of body language and a lack of resilience in Splitter’s estimation. He only put in a season-low 22 minutes in that loss.

But even with those moments for the 20-year-old where he might take one step back, there’s been way more moments of taking steps forward through the first 10 games.

“Honestly every game is a little bit different,” Splitter said of the Wilson’s growth so far. “He did some great things, and other games he wasn’t as good, but again, it’s not like a (upward) line. It’s up and down, up and down, and you grow, right. I think he’s working hard, he’s doing everything we ask. There are a lot of things on his plate right now, learning different things, and he’s grown, he’s getting better.”

The Claxton Effect

The sample size is small — just two games to be exact — but veteran big man Nic Claxton’s presence was being felt on both ends of the floor.

Claxton, who was acquired in an offseason four-team trade, was sidelined since the start of training camp with a strained hamstring. He made his Bulls debut in the Sunday loss to the 76ers, coming off the bench because of minutes restrictions, and was again in that role against San Antonio.

One player that’s really appreciated having Claxton behind him protecting the rim? Second-year forward Noa Essengue.

“That’s one of the best feelings, honestly,” Essengue said. “Because I know I can make a mistake because I have someone behind me to protect me, so it’s just amazing.

“I just know I can do a little more. I can put a little more pressure on the ball, try more deflections.”

A vet down

Norman Powell missed his second consecutive game, still dealing with back spasms.

The good news for the Bulls and their veteran shooting guard? It doesn’t sound like he’ll be in street clothes much longer.

“He’s around 70%, not ready to go, but expecting him to be ready next game,” Splitter said.

With Powell sidelined, the Bulls again turned to veteran wing Isaac Okoro. Okoro also started Sunday’s game against the 76ers, finishing with 12 points and a plus-1 in plus/minus.