BOSTON — Sometimes, a takeover must be hostile.
Such was the case when Jimmy Butler took control of the Bulls from Derrick Rose.
Sometimes, however, it’s just the natural order of things, no matter the age.
So when 20-year-old rookie Caleb Wilson speaks about ‘‘trying to find a balance because I want to be a good teammate, but I also want to win’’ when it comes to taking over games, it’s a bit out of the ordinary from a player with six NBA games under his belt.
The Bulls showed up lethargic and unfocused in their 125-111 loss Friday to the Celtics. By the time the wake-up call kicked in for the second half, the deficit was too big to overcome.
That didn’t sit well with Wilson, who finished with 23 points and came out of the locker room after halftime more aggressive.
‘‘I always feel like I can be aggressive and take over a game, so I’m just going to do that from the jump,’’ he said afterward.
And that wasn’t all he said.
‘‘I’m 20, and I’ve never been a loser in my whole life,’’ Wilson said when he was asked about a play in which he dived to the floor for a loose ball, didn’t get it and immediately jumped to his feet to defend the Celtics’ Paul George. ‘‘So I’m going to try my best to make sure that doesn’t happen, and I’m not ever going to accept being a loser.
‘‘This is my job to be a leader on this team, and it’s all going to start with me. I know that. It’s partially my fault that we started off the way we did, whether I’m the youngest on the team or not. I take ownership for that, and it won’t happen again.’’
In most NBA locker rooms, that might sound like a young guy stepping out of bounds. But the Bulls don’t have that sort of locker room.
It can’t be stated enough: This is a rebuild, and rebuilds are painful. The Bulls’ front office and coaching staff are new, so they don’t have an allegiance to any player except Wilson. There’s a scenario in which Wilson might be the only player still on the roster in three years. It’s unlikely, but it’s not impossible.
Even if Wilson wasn’t a natural leader, the organization likely wouldn’t look to silence him. Wilson is the future. And, the way things have played out lately, he is already the present.
Wilson showed that in the third quarter against the Celtics when he tried to will his teammates to be better.
‘‘I think his will to play well, to be effective, was contagious,’’ coach Tiago Splitter said. ‘‘He took some tough shots, but he made those. He was just trying to be effective and aggressive, especially to start the third quarter.
‘‘He’s a winner; he wants to win. He wants to do the right thing.’’
That’s why no one around Wilson was confusing his confidence for cockiness. He knows how good he can be someday but is also aware of how good he has been just a few weeks into his NBA career.
Even in talking about his defensive improvements, Wilson said: ‘‘They don’t ever go at me. When it’s an iso on me, I usually hold my own ground. Just need to work on being more attentive off the ball so people can’t get actions off the ball. But once I get that, I’ll be one of the best defenders in the NBA.’’
The takeover has begun.