Caleb Swanigan
If any of you follow my articles or especially my Twitter feed, then you’ll know I’ve got time for Caleb Swanigan. There’s certain players you just develop weird soft spots for, and ever since the 2017 Summer League, ‘Biggie’ has been a favorite of mine.
His initial play showed plenty of promise, and I was excited to see what he could do in the league. Unfortunately, Swanigan failed to make an impact in his rookie year, and in year two, was traded to Sacramento. Fast forward to year three though, and Biggie is back, after being included in the Trevor Ariza trade with the Kings.
The former Purdue big man has been thrusted into a big role immediately; with the Blazers chasing a playoff spot, Swanigan has backed up Hassan Whiteside and played almost 15 minutes per game. The center has paced these minutes with 3.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and is shooting 57 percent from the field.
The thing I love about Swanigan is his obvious desire to help the team, his hustle is tremendous, and it is clear that he wants nothing more than to be a positive factor for the Blazers. However, despite mini positive flashes, it’s been a rocky experience.
Swanigan actually drew some praise from the ‘Inside the NBA’ crew on Thursday evening, as Shaq and Chuck seemed impressed with his six-point first half display. Swanigan attacked the glass, finished around the rim well and was a big factor in Portland’s first half lead. His second half then showed why he probably won’t return next year.
The Sabonis matchup was unfair, as most bigs struggle to contain the skilled Pacers center, but Biggie has struggled with the majority of opponents on the defensive end, and for a guy that isn’t too significant on the other end, this could be a deal-breaker.
Swanigan’s individual defensive rating is in the bottom 20 in the NBA, and I know defensive rating isn’t always the best stat to go by. But in Biggie’s case, it’s probably fair. He’s too slow on defense, whether it’s guarding pick and rolls or containing drives to the rim. He’s struggled with switches, and isn’t really an impressive shot blocker either.
It pains me to say, but Swanigan shouldn’t be apart of this Blazers roster in 2021. I’d much prefer to sign a cheap veteran to back up Nurkic, especially considering next year is very much a ‘win-now’ scenario.