Four Observations from Bulls' Caleb Wilson and Grizzlies' Cameron Boozer's Las Vegas Summer League Battle

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The Memphis Grizzlies topped the Chicago Bulls 97-96 in the game of the Las Vegas Summer League, highlighted by a nuclear Caleb Wilson showing and an impressive game from Cameron Boozer. Beyond those two, this game featured plenty of relevant NBA prospects.

Let’s discuss four things we observed in this marquee Summer League matchup.

Four observations from Bulls vs. Grizzlies at Summer League

Caleb Wilson shot (and made) tons of threes

Caleb Wilson, who has never excelled as an outside shooter previously, drilled an absurd 7-11 from beyond the arc against Memphis. Several of those triples tonight came off the dribble, often from range or over contests. His marksmanship from range fueled a 35-point explosion in his NBA debut.

He made seven of his 27 3-point attempts during his sole, shortened season at North Carolina. Across his final college, high school and AAU seasons, Wilson went 2-20 on off-dribble threes. And his 11 3-point attempts shattered his all-time career high (according to Synergy), notched in an EYBL game in April 2024 (he shot 1-8 from three in that contest).

Wilson far exceeded any expectations of boosted 3-point volume in Las Vegas, especially compared to his college sample. Three-point volume translates more reliably from small samples like Summer League than other numbers. We noted that volume was the key to watch for the star-studded rookie and he delivered as strongly as he possibly could have.

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Cameron Boozer impacts the game in all areas

Unlike Wilson, Cameron Boozer’s steady impact against the Bulls was far from surprising. The former Blue Devil posted a tidy 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block on 81 percent true shooting. He toggled between the wing and the interior throughout the game, flexing his perimeter skill and bruising paint presence.

Few Boozer possessions end in the same manner. His scoring versatility rivaled any prospect in his class, comfortable influencing the offense through numerous avenues. His offensive library against Chicago included an off-dribble three, deep seals by the rim and playmaking on the move.

Boozer’s defense held up for the majority of the game, notably picking Wilson’s pocket for a dunk on the other end. Despite his shaky interior defensive chops, his quick hands and sharp awareness popped when defending on the wing in rotation. His Vegas debut won’t approach his best performances, but a mediocre Boozer game rivals many teenagers’ best games.

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) July 11, 2026

Boozer and Cedric Coward are developing strong chemistry

At least one of the aforementioned Boozer deep seals stemmed from a far Cedric Coward entry pass. On at least one other occasion, the two toggled roles, with Boozer lofting a ball over the top to Coward’s gigantic catch radius. This was one of several ways these two core Memphis pieces interacted to the team’s benefit against the Bulls.

Coward oddly doesn’t rack up the amount of steals one might expect from a wing with his immense size and length. Boozer’s perimeter defensive chops and off-ball playmaking help cover for Coward, while the second-year Grizzly’s sharp weak-side rim protection (Coward blocked two shots) accounts for Boozer’s poor paint protection.

A calm 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Coward presented him as an out-of-place NBA player on a court below his level, a promising sign for Memphis. For the moment, his synergy with Boozer, including their penchant for aggressive offensive glass crashing, should help the Grizzlies win Summer League games.

A mixed bag from Dailyn Swain and Noa Essengue

Wilson undoubtedly stole the spotlight from the other summer Bulls, but Chicago played two other recent first-round picks alongside him. Dailyn Swain and Noa Essengue put positive and negative flashes on tape, the two fledgling wings both generally struggling on the offensive side of the floor.

Essengue couldn’t parlay his added height into outsized offensive impact, floating for much of the game en route to 10 points on five shots, but he flashed his patented foul-drawing on drives for seven free throws. He shined on the defensive end, tallying four blocks, two steals and displaying his preternatural mobility and smoothness guarding the perimeter.

An often passive Swain ended with just seven points on 10 attempts, struggling to consistently imprint himself on the game. He still flashed his usual slashing brilliance and his process on those deep paint attacks was mostly sound, despite the poor shooting percentages.