Look at the los angeles lakers Roster, it’s clear they need to shoot again to start the season. It’s going to be even worse this year as the best 3-point shooter by percentage isn’t coming back.
Three of the Lakers’ free agent signings – Juan Toscano-Anderson, Lonnie Walker and Thomas Bryant – have made between 3 and 40% in one season, but combined more than 41 in one season. No one hit the 3-pointer.
This opens the door for players like Swider. 50% shot success rate from 3P range .
As such, Cole Sweider is a Lakers rookie to watch this season.
Comparing those numbers to Max Christie, whom the Lakers traded in the second round of the draft, it’s clear who’s better suited for a no-shoot rotation.Christie 22% shot with 3 shots It shows a lack of ability to stretch the floor at this stage of his career.
When asked about NBA player comps in a Summer League postgame interview, Swayder confidently answered Duncan Robinson. I provided props because it could be. say it,
“Like all the players in the NBA who have proven they need moveshooters that can take action, thanks to guys like Duncan Robinson and Joe Harris.”
His comparison to Duncan Robinson would have been more favorable last season when he could barely come off the Miami bench in the playoffs due to defensive limitations. But Swider believes he can compete on defense with his 6’9-inch frame and the ability to face larger forwards.
Swayder signed a two-way deal with the Lakers this offseason that will allow him to play only 50 games this year and limit him from playing in the playoffs. But if he gets the chance to play and shoot the ball well, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was guaranteed a full-time NBA contract with the Lakers by the end of the season.
He will have the opportunity to become the Lakers’ next two-way player, just as Austin Reeves and Alex Caruso did before him. He comes into the league with major college basketball experience having played for both Villanova and Syracuse, so he may be able to step in and play a role soon.
In college, he had the talent to start games in both of these blue-blooded programs, but it wasn’t until senior year that Syracuse showed his true potential in bigger roles. was.he was second on the team in scoring 13.9 points per gamehad the best 3-point shooting percentage on the team and put up 36 points against North Carolina.
Catch-and-shoot threes were the majority of Suwayder’s points in Summer League, but he also showed he could be more than a spot-up shooter.
He showed great off-ball instincts getting off the screen and filling lanes with fast breaks. He can put the ball on the floor and pull it up with a dribble or even reach the rim.
That offensive skill set has proven to work this season, too, with LeBron James, who we’re sure will be the primary playmaker on the Lakers’ offense.
Swayder could be the Lakers’ biggest boom or bust player heading into next season. His shooting his touch gives him a chance to quickly find a spot in rotation. However, his inexperience and athletic limitations in the NBA meant he could become a forgotten player by playing most of his time in the South Bay in his league.
Expectations may be too high for someone who wasn’t drafted and even passed by the Lakers. His Summer League performance could have been a mirage in the deserted shooter wasteland that looks like the Lakers roster every year.
Only time will tell if he becomes the latest success story in the Lakers’ scouting division. The Lakers should definitely want him to be the 3-pointer he desperately needs, but putting that hope in the undrafted rookie would be a slam dunk for their roster appearances heading into this season. should say a lot about
