​Caleb Wilson’s numbers from his freshman year at North Carolina are being cited as a point of discussion as he continues to prove himself in the NBA. Throughout his first collegiate season, Wilson connected on only 7 of 27 attempts from three-point range, a stat that underscored the skepticism some scouts and analysts had about his long-range shooting. That concern followed him into his initial NBA appearance in the Summer League with the Chicago Bulls on Friday, where Wilson erupted for 35 points after hitting 7 of 11 from beyond the arc, marking the second-most points ever by a rookie in their first Summer League game. It was a striking performance that showcased a level of efficiency and confidence from long range that he hadn’t consistently displayed at UNC.
In that Bulls debut, Wilson repeatedly pulled up off the dribble and created space with step-backs for contested jumpers against Memphis Grizzlies defenders. The scoreline stood out not only for its raw numbers but for the stylistic contrast it drew with his college-era usage. At North Carolina, Wilson’s offense was less about off-the-dribble shooting and more about fitting into the system under former coach Hubert Davis, who relied on structure and ball movement that didn’t always prioritize his outside shot. The numbers from his All-American season reflected that reality, as his three-point success rate lingered around the low 20s on limited attempts—an anemic figure by most standards and one that fed into the perception that his shooting stroke might be a work in progress.
The perception surrounding Wilson’s draft stock included a critique that his three-point shot wasn’t reliable, a point that echoed in the scouting community and among draft analysts. The UNC stat line seemed to validate that skepticism, and it sharpened the debate about how his offensive tools would translate at the next level. The second-round buzz around Wilson’s versatility often came with the caveat that his ceiling would be limited if his shooting remained a liability in the NBA. The Bulls, however, were clearly betting on a broader skill set and a potential for growth that they believed could unlock him as a multi-positional threat.
Beyond the numbers, Wilson addressed the questions about his collegiate role and how that affected his development as a shooter. He told reporters on Sunday that he has always possessed shooting ability, but his role in Hubert Davis’s system didn’t place the emphasis on three-point attempts. “I could shoot in college; it just wasn’t my role,” Wilson said in a media scrum. He noted that the Carolina offense emphasized transition and rim-running, as well as getting to the top of the key, rather than prioritizing long-range shooting. He expressed gratitude toward his college coaching staff for allowing him to do what he did on the court, while acknowledging that if his three-point opportunities had been greater in college, his path might have looked very different. “There’s nothing wrong with it. I appreciate my coach for allowing me to do what I did in college. It’s no hard feelings. I’m glad I didn’t shoot 3s in college, because if I did, I wouldn’t be here. I don’t know what I’d be, but I wouldn’t be a Bull,” he said.
The broader context for Wilson’s remarks touches on another layer of the coaching transition at North Carolina. The comments also serve as a reflection on the departure of coach Hubert Davis in March, after five seasons at the helm, and the subsequent shift under Michael Malone, who had previously led the Denver Nuggets. Any suggestion that Davis constrained Wilson’s game—whether intentionally or as a byproduct of system design—adds another dimension to the ongoing discussion about how much a coach’s philosophy should influence a player’s development and draft stock.
Yet the narrative around Wilson isn’t simply about what happened in college; it’s also about what’s happened since his arrival in the professional ranks and what lies ahead. Wilson has indicated that his shooting improvement stems not from a fundamental overhaul of mechanics but from an increased number of reps and a growing sense of confidence built through consistent practice. He described a deliberate pre-NBA routine in which he has been working on his shot with intensity, emphasizing quantity and quiet progression over flashy changes to technique. He said he has been handling the workload of shooting in the gym, logging thousands of shots in recent weeks, as part of a plan to transform practice hours into on-court consistency.
From Wilson’s perspective, the time afforded by a professional setting—where the demands of being a student-athlete are less restrictive than in college—has been a significant factor. He spoke about the unique balance of being a professional athlete: the ability to dedicate more hours to development while still pursuing the responsibilities of being a professional. “In the NBA, you actually have time to work on your game in a way that I didn’t have in college. I didn’t have the time; I had to go to class,” he said. “It’s different now. I can focus on basketball and continue to grow.”
As Wilson continues his transition from college standout to NBA contributor, the focus shifts to how his shooting evolves within the Bulls’ offense, how his other skills—such as ball handling, decision-making, and defensive versatility—develop, and how his confidence translates into consistent performance against higher levels of competition. The early Summer League showcase offered a glimpse of the potential that some scouts saw when he entered the draft, a potential that now hinges on refinement, repetition, and the ability to integrate his improved shooting into a well-rounded game at the professional level.