We’ve spent a bunch of time talking about power forwards this week. While the Charlotte Hornets could use some more talent there, they’re definitely not going to force a positional pick if there is more perceived talent on the board at another spot. The team is very perimeter oriented in the back court, and a slasher like Dailyn Swain could be a nice addition to add some variety to the wing rotation.
Measurements
Height: 6’6.5″
Weight: 211.2 pounds
Wingspan: 6’10”
Standing reach: 8’8.5″
Standing vertical: 28″
Max vertical: 36.5″
Strengths
Slashing, shot creation, defensive potential
Swain has the attributes to be a pesky two way player should he continue his current development trend. His clear NBA selling point is his ability to get the ball in the paint. He handled the ball a lot for Texas and was able to get the ball to the basket and finish, even without any help. He has some nifty handles and is able to get by defenders in isolation, and he’s also capable of attacking gaps created out of pick and roll situations. When he gets to the paint, he has soft touch and an impressive arsenal of finishing moves.
He has a good mentality when he is operating as a driver. He doesn’t get tunnel vision and is adept at finding teammates, especially in close quarters around the basket. He is capable of hitting cutters who abandon their ball watching defenders and has a good feel for finding bigs with dumpoffs and lobs at the rim. He averaged 3.6 assists per game, which is a very impressive mark for a college wing that wasn’t playing on the best team.
Swain has good hypothetical defensive traits. He shows promise in some aspects. He generated a lot of steals and has a knack for jumping passing lanes. He also puts good effort in on the glass, posting 7.5 rebounds per game, which is a pretty elite mark for a wing. You’d think the flexibility and twitchiness he plays with on offense would be able to translate to the defensive end with the right mindset, but we haven’t seen that yet. Still, a team could convince themselves that a reduced offensive role would allow Swain to unlock some of his defensive talents.
Question marks
Outside shooting, defensive urgency
We’ll touch on the lesser question mark because it’s quick and might end up being a nothing. While Swain was very good at generating steals, it wasn’t always via the best process. He can get caught roaming a little aimlessly looking to make plays as a helper while losing track of his man. His tools suggest he can be a very good defender, and perhaps the offensive burden he shouldered at Texas took away some energy and focus on defense, but you never know for sure if a player will end up being a better defender in a different situation.
The real swing skill for Swain is his outside shooting. He has two things working in his favor:
- His 3-point volume and efficiency has improved by leaps and bounds year over year
- He shot almost exactly 81% from the free throw line all three years of college
Now, I say his 3-point volume and efficiency have improved, but they improved from basically not attempting threes to attempting the occasional three and making some of them. He attempted 2.6 threes per game in his junior season, which is still pretty low volume, but it’s a big uptick from the less than one attempt per game he took in his two seasons at Xavier. He converted a respectable 34.4%, but it’s not a very convincing 34.4%. His form could use a lot of work. He has a slow gather before he seems to rush through the actual release. It kind of looks like he shoots while actively thinking of shooting cues in the middle of the game. It’s not natural looking at all. He could have a really hard time getting that shot to go in against faster NBA defenses that are going to be better able to disrupt his focus during his shot. If he ends up being a non-shooter, it’s a lot harder to find a role for him outside of a bench energy guy.
Overview
Swain possesses an intriguing range between his perceived floor and ceiling. On one hand, he’s unlikely to become a star level player, or maybe even a starter, if he doesn’t continue to drastically to improve his outside shooting. However, he has a pretty rare level of talent as a slasher and paint touch creator at his size. That at the very least can make for a good bench piece a la Jaime Jaquez Jr. in Miami. On the other hand, if he does figure out the shot, you suddenly have the makings of a star in the ever coveted archetype of long, shot creating wings that can defend.
For a team like the Hornets who have two picks in the teens, taking a swing on Swain would make a lot of sense. If the shot doesn’t come around, he still has a chance to add value, and he won’t need to be counted on right away while he figures that out. But in terms of upside, it’s hard to find players at the Hornets pick that have a clearer path to overachieving relative to their draft slot provided just one element of their game improves. Swain would be a home run swing kind of pick.
