Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson talks stunning Summer League 3-point breakout: ‘I could shoot in college, it just wasn’t my role’

Caleb Wilson shot 7 of 27 from 3 over the course of his entire freshman season at North Carolina.

In his debut with the Chicago Bulls on Friday, Wilson shot 7 of 11 from beyond the arc en route to 35 points, the second-most ever by a player in his first NBA Summer League game.

Wilson repeatedly pulled up off the dribble and stepped back for contested jumpers over Memphis Grizzlies defenders while making shots that he didn’t attempt across the course of his All-American freshman campaign at UNC.

It added up to a remarkable effort from the Chicago rookie, even if it arrived in an exhibition against Summer League competition.

Where was this in college?

So where did this come from? The knock against Wilson’s draft stock compared to AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer — each of whom was selected ahead of him — was that his 3-point shot isn’t reliable. It’s a criticism that the stats bore out at UNC in his 25.9% success rate on limited attempts.

Wilson told reporters Sunday that he’s always been able to shoot — he just wasn’t allowed to in former UNC coach Hubert Davis’ offense.

“I could shoot in college, it just wasn’t my role,” Wilson said in a media scrum. “I’m sure you guys have watched college basketball. We ran the Carolina break, rim runner, get to the top of the key.

“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.”

The commentary — whether intentional or not — is further indictment of Davis, whom Carolina fired in March after his fifth season of coaching his alma mater in favor of former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone. Even the whiff of shackling a talent like Wilson in favor of a system is not a good look for a head coach.

Wilson says he’s been grinding at the gym

But that isn’t the full story for what appears to be a dramatically improved jump shot from what Wilson demonstrated at UNC. Wilson told reporters that he’s focused on improving his shot since recovering from a broken thumb that ended his college career early.

Per Wilson, he’s been getting up 2,000-2,500 shots per day in the gym over the last 10 weeks. He says that he hasn’t changed his mechanics, but that he’s building confidence through his reps.

“It’s not any change or anything like that,” Wilson said. “You get more confidence because you know you’re putting in the work. But it’s nothing that I’m changing.

Wilson also noted that being a pro offers time to work on his game that he didnt’ have in college.

“I didn’t really have the time, I had to go to class,” Wilson continued. “It was different. I actually had to be a student-athlete. I didn’t have the time to do that. That’s what’s good about the NBA. It’s just your job.”

Is Wilson’s Summer League 3-point shooting real?

Wilson’s shooting was easily the biggest knock against his game as an NBA prospect. A 6-9 forward with a 7-foot wing span, Wilson is arguably the best athlete in his draft class. He’s a thunderous downhill scorer who attacks the rim and has All-Defensive upside on the other side of the floor. He rebounds on both sides of the floor and is an effective passer.

He has a relentless basketball motor and ruthless competitive streak to match his talents. It added up to averages of 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game at North Carolina.

And again, this was just one game in a Summer League exhibition. Wilson’s got a long way to go to demonstrate that he’s a legitimate 3-point threat in the NBA. But if he is? Watch out.