Lakers Undrafted Rookie Drawing Comparisons to Kyle Kuzma
The start of the NBA regular season is months and months away, but for those starved for professional basketball, NBA Summer League is off and running. The Lakers recently wrapped up three games as part of the California Classic and undrafted rookie Cole Swider had some nice moments.
Swider finished top-ten in field-goal percentage (57.9%), and led all players in threes made per game (3.0). He shot 60% from three and averaged 11.3 points in the Lakers trio of games.
His ability to find space on offense and get open is reminding some scouts of Kyle Kuzma according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha.
"He’s drawn comparisons to former Laker Kyle Kuzma, who won the fan base over with his breakout summer league performance in 2017. Swider’s confidence, shooting and competitive fire resemble Kuzma’s that summer."
There's something to be said as far as undrafted rookies having some extra fire in Summer League, even when they're already signed to a two-way contract with a franchise.
Swider spent his first three collegiate seasons at Villanova, but transferred to Syracuse for his final year before turning pro. Buha labeled him an "elite shooter" and applauded him for his ability to get up shots in a variety of situations: off the dribble, off a cut, and most importantly, off the catch.
However, Buha was sure to temper expectations defensively for Swider, citing his short arms and "below-average athleticism". The Lakers beat writer did note that he is an intelligent defender, but not an impactful one which is where the Kuzma comparison falls flat.
"But that’s just about where the comparison ends. Defensively, they are nothing alike."
The Lakers are hoping they've unearthed another rotation player and perhaps a quality shooter that could work his way from a two-way contract to standard NBA contract at some point next season.
