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. Tried to make plays, took care of the ball … I can go to sleep with a fight like this."

The Matas Buzelis & Caleb Wilson Experience

The Chicago Bulls undoubtedly benefited from a veteran New York Knicks team playing on the back end of a back-to-back. That made it much easier for them to play to their preferred uptempo identity. Still, Wilson and Buzelis deserve credit for recognizing the advantage and coming out with the right mindset. The rest of the team fed off their energy.

Wilson would go on to finish the game with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Buzelis would add 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. They combined for double-digit free throw attempts, and they each nailed three triples. Now, would the Bulls like to see them shoot better than 12-31 from the field? Most certainly, but you'd rather have them be aggressive than hesitant.

Indeed, that's what felt especially promising about Buzelis' performance. He looked considerably more comfortable hunting his spots on the floor both with and without Wilson on the court. The forward has faced a real challenge finding his way in this new offense, though there has always been reason to believe he would make it work.

It's hard not to like the idea of two uber-athletic and versatile wings sharing the floor. Both are capable defenders who can feast in the open court. Even if the halfcourt offense needs work, the eventual floor with those two in the lineup feels decently high. Not to mention, it gives a head coach like Splitter a pretty obvious play style to build around.

We also shouldn't look past what Wilson's passing can do for this duo. While Buzelis is a capable and willing passer in his own right, Wilson has exciting upside in this department. It's something that Splitter says they have been very aware of behind the scenes, and Wednesday provided fans with their best glimpse yet.

The No. 4 overall pick made a couple of fantastic reads, one of which came on an alley-oop to Buzelis. Wilson got the block on one end, pushed it up the floor, and made the perfect live-dribble feed to a flying Buzelis for the two-handed slam. Wilson almost found Buzelis another time for a big three, but his teammate was unfortunately standing out of bounds.

Add in a great rebound and outlet pass to a running Jalen Smith, and Wilson played one of his highest IQ games yet. If the Bulls want him to be their next superstar piece – and they do – this ability to make the right decision and set up his teammates is essential. And, of course, this is particularly true when we think about his long-term fit with Buzelis.

“It’s going great. Matas is my guy, on the court and off the court. I love playing with him," Wilson said after the game. "He had a great game tonight, and I’m excited to see him keep flourishing and getting better every night. And I want to make a bunch more lobs both ways, so I just feel like it’s a step in the right direction. As coach said, there are no moral victories, but I feel like we’re definitely moving in the right way.” 

Obviously, it's not all uphill from here. Wilson and Buzelis will go through just as many bumps in the road individually as they will together. Building chemistry takes time – let alone learning how to bring the best out of one another. But Chicago's tight loss to New York gave this organization proof of concept. There is a dynamic duo brewing in this starting lineup, and that could change everything for this franchise moving forward.