Caleb Swanigan showed off new facets of game in Summer League

Caleb Swanigan may not have improved on the stat sheet in Summer League, but he did show off new facets of his developing game.

Caleb Swanigan tore up the Summer League in his 2017 debut. In eight games, he averaged 16.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 30.7 minutes.

The big man produced more well-rounded numbers this year, but ultimately fell short of his 2017 showing. He averaged 8.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 26.3 minutes per game in 2018.

However, Swanigan did help the Blazers win the championship and avenge last year’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

There was plenty to like (and dislike) about his play in Summer League. And because he’ll be getting more minutes this season, breaking down his performances become extra important.

Passing

The Blazers chose to utilize Caleb Swanigan differently than a year ago. Along with being a low-post bruiser, he was the offense’s facilitator.

In this new role, he made more passes than ever before in his career.

Last year in Summer League, Swanigan averaged 2.3 assists per game. In the G-League with the Canton Charge, he averaged 2.7 assists. Then, over the past two weeks, he jumped to 3.3 assists per game.

Nearly every offensive possession included a guard’s pass to Swanigan at the top of the key. The guard could then run off a screen from Swanigan, who would hand it off to them. Or, sometimes the Blazers wings made a backdoor cut for a quick and easy layup.

In those sets, Swanigan was responsible for kickstarting the offense with a smart pass. Unfortunately, he frequently demonstrated poor judgement, especially on the backdoor cuts.

Swanigan therefore averaged 3.0 turnovers per game in the 2018 Summer League, including three straight 5-turnover games. An assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.1 isn’t horrible among centers (Deandre Ayton’s was 0.0), but it leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Dribbling

In the video above, Swanigan grabs the rebound and dribbles it down the court before passing it to John Jenkins. Wade Baldwin IV barely looks for the outlet pass, meaning the Blazers planned to have Swanigan take it up after rebounding.

Last year, Portland ranked last in transition points per game. Having big men like Swanigan dribble the court following a rebound can develop that lacking style of offense. It gets the offense moving before the defense has time to set up.

Shooting

Swanigan scored 7.8 points less this Summer League (16.2 to 8.4). It wasn’t for lack of attempts – he shot the ball 51 times, fifth most on the team. However, he only made 20 for a field goal percentage of 39%.

Interestingly, 2-pointers contributed the most to this poor shooting percentage.

Swanigan has the bulky frame to operate in the post, but his finishing needs improvement. He often found himself inside the paint for a mildly contested hook shot. These attempts didn’t fall as much as they should have.

Overall, the big man shot 38% inside the three-point arc.

On the other hand, Swanigan knocked down 4 of his 9 three-point attempts (44.4%). In the G-League he shot 30.8% from three, and for the Blazers, he shot 12.5%.

He steadily shoots one or two three-pointers per game, but his success form deep dramatically rose in Summer League. If Neil Olshey truly moved Ed Davis for more floor spacing, then Swanigan’s three-point development is encouraging.

Rebounding

Although Swanigan’s numbers dropped significantly between 2017 and 2018 Summer League, the one stat that remained steady was rebounds.

Like he’s shown on every level, Swanigan is a tough rebounder. He may not have the height or vertical, but he does have the basketball IQ and grit to pull down every ball near him.

With Ed Davis gone (7.4 rebounds per game in 2017-2018), the Blazers will need a new big man to hustle on the offensive and defensive glass. From what Swanigan has displayed since college, he’ll be that replacement.

Defense

As with the 2017 Summer League, Caleb Swanigan did not impress on the defensive end. This time around, he averaged 0.4 steals and 0.3 blocks.

Defensive prowess doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet, but his defense didn’t pass the eye test either.

Quite often, the opposing guard would bend around a screen and face up with Swanigan. The guard would take off toward the basket, blowing by easily with a single dribble move.

Players with lengthy wingspans and solid verticals (like Zach Collins) can get away with this – they’re able to cover ground and get the block from behind. Not Swanigan, though.

Fortunately, he’ll likely play alongside Collins during the regular season. Collins plays wonderful help defense, hence the 16 blocks in 6 Summer League games.

Next: The Blazers are Summer League champs...now what?

Caleb Swanigan’s Summer League performance took a dip on the stat sheet from 2017. However, he demonstrated new facets of his game that will be more useful to a Blazers team needing a reserve center.

Once the regular season begins, look for Swanigan playing a facilitator role and knocking down threes off pick-and-rolls, all while fighting for every rebound.