Caleb Wilson had already rocked the rim twice by the 9-minute mark of the first quarter. Let one more minute run off the clock, and Matas Buzelis would have a three-point make with two trips to the free throw line.

The Bulls were up 14-11 against the New York Knicks. Nothing to call home about. A lot of game left. But that didn't change the fact that this felt like the exact start the Bulls had been waiting for. And what made it even better is that it came against the defending champs.

Yes, Chicago went on to lose the game . Jalen Brunson closed out the 133-127 Knicks victory with 14 points in the fourth quarter. What's new? Regardless, Chicago's two top young players showed genuine flashes of what their partnership could look like down the road. And isn't that really what this season is all about?

“I think they played better together and also when they were not together," Tiago Splitter said of Wilson and Buzelis. "They were aggressive.…