Caleb Wilson showed a new side vs. the Lakers, and it's exactly what he needs

Where in the world did this come from? That's likely what North Carolina fans were thinking when they were watching Caleb Wilson in Summer League action against the Los Angeles Lakers. Wilson stole the show again with a poster jam, but he sure has a lot of people talking due to some trash talking that took place against LA.

In case you missed it, Wilson was jawing back and forth with Arthur Kaluma, who has been enjoying a stellar summer with the Western Conference side. However, Wilson didn't care for how he was acting up, hitting him with multiple 'who are you?' trolls for everyone to see. This is a side of Wilson we didn't see in Chapel Hill, but you know what, it's what he needs right now.

Caleb Wilson talking trash and standing his ground will help him in the NBA

This is the kind of edge that a player needs to make it in the pros. Wilson has been known for being a humble young man, playing with the right amount of confidence. He has never come off as super cocky, which has been awesome to see. In the league, however, veterans won't waste any time in reminding Wilson that being the nice guy is going to get you dominated on the hardwood.

That's why Wilson going after Kaluma in the Chicago loss like this is actually a positive sign. Yes, we never want to see Wilson pick a fight with a player or become a star in the NBA, where he's known more for what he says instead of what he gets done with the ball in his hands. With that, Wilson can't let people push him around, and he's got to find a way to stick up for himself. Letting Kaluma know to step off in this way should be a warning sign to others.

Wilson is also letting his play do a bunch of the talking, as he scored 21 points while adding eight rebounds against Los Angeles. Early on, too, Wilson turned heads with a high-flying dunk, which was followed by a sweet pull-up 3-pointer. This sequence alone has people even more fired up for the regular season to arrive later this year.

Breathtaking. Wilson is all done hooping for the Bulls this summer, but he's headed back to Chicago to grind this offseason. He made it more than clear he's not planning to take any time off, as he knows the pressure that comes with being the new face of the organization.

From the moment Wilson was taken with the No. 4 overall pick by Chicago, the monstrous expectations arrived, but the youngster isn't running away from things. Instead, he's facing all of these new challenges head-on, which is something Carolina fans were accustomed to when he was still lacing up his sneakers in Chapel Hill.

Moving forward, Wilson is going to want to silence the haters/doubters, while also doing the same to the opposition he battles. Seeing him talk trash may have caught a lot of us by surprise, but it sure seems like he's only getting started in that department, which won't be a bad thing.

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