After his outstanding season at North Carolina, Caleb Wilson drew a ton of attention leading up to the 2026 NBA Draft.
The biggest question that everyone seemed to have about the talented forward was simple: can he shoot the basketball beyond what we saw him do in the paint and mid-range during his lone college season?
To be fair, it was a valid question, given Wilson didn't necessarily need to show off his range at UNC. In fact, it's tough to settle for a jump shot or a contested three-pointer beyond the arc when you can simply drive to the hoop and dunk on people's heads.
Well, Wilson silenced the critics quickly during NBA Summer League action, and a notable Naismith Hall of Famer had his biggest question surrounding the former Tar Heel answered even before he plays in an actual NBA game.
Tracy McGrady believes Caleb Wilson will be a problem in the NBA
On their podcast, Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, the pair of hall of famers discussed Caleb Wilson leading up to his rookie season in the league.
McGrady admitted that he was one of those people who questioned his shooting ability, citing that he simply needed to see the former Tar Heel shoot with consistency, especially from long distance.
Well, it took Wilson a handful of summer league games to prove to McGrady that he's going to be a problem in the NBA for many years to come.
“CALEB WILSON is a PROBLEM” -TMAC pic.twitter.com/BOj6a8rYJh
— CalebWilsonLover (@CalebWilsonZone) July 25, 2026
"The kid (Caleb Wilson) is talented. There's no question about that," McGrady said. "He has to be able to shoot the ball. That was my question about him. Can he shoot? Well, in a Summer League game, I think it was his first one, he hit seven threes. Once I see that very thing that I questioned you about, and you made that your strong suit now, and you worked on it, and I see that there's some consistency with that, oh, yeah, he is gonna be a problem."
Caleb Wilson's dominant run in Las Vegas earns him NBA Summer League accolades
As mentioned earlier, Wilson never needed to showcase his range as a member of the Tar Heels. He attempted 27 shots from three-point range all season long, as he, and North Carolina, knew that the best recipe for success was him getting his position in the post and capitalizing, whether that meant creating his own shot or beating the various double (and sometimes triple) teams that were thrown at him.
While Wilson did everything he needed to do to help the Tar Heels win games, he still was putting in the work behind the scenes to improve his game in every aspect, including his long-range shot.
His hard work has paid off, as evidenced by his NBA Summer League performances. He silenced the critics right away with his debut outing, one in which he drained seven three-pointers (the same amount he made in 24 games played at UNC), showing that there's much more to his game than originally showed.
Now, if Wilson had this hiding in his bag, what else does he have to bring to the table that he hasn't shown yet?! The league better be ready for him come the start of his rookie season, as he is going to be a problem, just like McGrady said he will be.
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