Tag: Cole Swider

Cole Swider was delighted to make Lakers debut in front of his family

Lakers rookie forward Cole Swider said playing in his first NBA game on Monday was a “dream come true.”

One of the more underrated aspects of the NBA is how the league has made the dreams of countless men come true.

Not only do they get to live out their aspiration of playing pro ball, but they also become rich and are thus able to bless their families in many ways.

A rookie’s first NBA game is a seminal event that they will never forget, and that was certainly the case for Cole Swider on Monday night.

He went unselected in June’s draft, but the Los Angeles Lakers swooped him up as an undrafted free agent.

The 6-foot-9 forward was on cloud nine for his first NBA game on Monday.

“It was amazing. It’s a dream come true,” Swider said after the game on his debut. “Obviously, like LeBron (James) on the sideline, didn’t get to play with him tonight, but just LeBron on the sideline. Being in Crypto was amazing. Obviously, I had parents, my dad and my grandfather in the crowd, that was special too.”

With the team badly needing accurate 3-point shooting, as well as functional depth at the power forward position, Swider could get some meaningful playing time this season.

He went 2-of-4 from downtown on Monday and finished with 10 points in just 19 minutes.

How well he holds his own defensively and on the boards will likely be a large factor in how much playing time head coach Darvin Ham gives him once the regular season starts.

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Observations from Lakers vs. Kings preseason game

Despite a poor overall showing from the Lakers in their first preseason game, three players stood out in a positive way for them.

Los Angeles Lakers basketball is finally back after a long and strange offseason!

The team looks a lot different this season after a summer that was filled with lots of trade rumors, and Monday’s contest against the Sacramento Kings gave fans a glimpse at what the new-look Lakers could be this season.

Not surprisingly, it was an ugly contest, especially for Los Angeles, which shot 31.2 percent from the field and committed 23 turnovers, which led to 30 Sacramento points.

The team also had lots of trouble on the boards, giving up 15 offensive rebounds.

But there were a few bright spots for the Lakers, especially from these three players in particular.

NBA Summer League 2022: The top rookie standouts from Las Vegas

Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best performances from the rookie class this year in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The Las Vegas Summer League came to a conclusion on Sunday as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the New York Knicks to claim the championship trophy.

Throughout the 11-day competition, there were plenty of exciting performances from players and teams alike. With few second-year players in action, the rookie class was on full display with several individuals playing at a high level.

Of course, No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero dazzled in a limit showing before getting shut down after two games. Further down the draft board, other players stepped up and showed little trouble adjusting to their first NBA action.

With the event now wrapped up, Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best performances from the rookie class this year in games played in Las Vegas.

Note: Players arranged in alphabetical order.

Summer League player grades: Cole Swider

Our analysis of Cole Swider’s performance in this year’s NBA Summer League for the Lakers.

The 2022 NBA Summer League is now in the books for the Los Angeles Lakers, and they had a few players who showed at least some potential to make it to the big league and spend significant time there.

One of those players is Cole Swider, an undrafted rookie who played his college ball at Villanova University and Syracuse University.

Right before the start of the California Classic, the Lakers signed Swider to a two-way contract, paving the way for him to split time between the G League and the big league this coming season.

Here is a summary of what Swider showed in the summer league over the past couple of weeks.

Cole Swider continues to show off his sweet stroke in Summer League

The outside shooting ability Cole Swider has shown in Summer League appears to be no fluke.

Cole Swider, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward who played his college ball at Villanova University and Syracuse University, was one of several undrafted rookie free agents the Los Angeles Lakers recently signed.

Once the California Classic opened last Saturday, he started to impress fans and observers with his ability to hit long jumpers.

He went 3-of-5 from 3-point range in L.A.’s opener against the Miami Heat, 5-of-8 a night later and 1-of-2 on Tuesday versus the Sacramento Kings.

On Friday, as the Lakers went up against the Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas, Swider continued to make it rain from deep.

Although he shot just 4-of-11 from the field, he was 3-of-7 from downtown.

Perhaps Swider’s most impressive attribute is the fact that he not only nails open treys, but that he also hits contested and semi-contested treys with some sort of regularity. That’s the trait of a true outside sniper.

The rest of Swider’s game hasn’t really stood out, and it appears he will likely get exposed in the paint defensively, at least at times, in the big leagues.

But Swider can clearly shoot with accuracy, and that’s a skill that’s at a premium and can take him far with the Lakers.

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Cole Swider shows silky smooth stroke at California Classic

Great basketball was played at the California Classic over the past two days, and Cole Swider definitely had himself two great games. Swider has done a lot for the Lakers’ Summer League team this weekend, most notably his three-point shooting.

Great basketball was played at the California Classic over the past two days, and Cole Swider definitely had himself two great games. Swider was able to do a lot for this Los Angeles Lakers Summer League team this weekend, and what stood out the most has been his 3-point shooting.

Swider showcased a silky-smooth stroke while shooting 5-8 from three versus the Golden State Warriors. The undrafted rookie from Syracuse really moved well without the basketball and was able to navigate pockets of space to work himself open for easy shots.

Not only did he do a good job shooting the ball on catch and shoot opportunities, but he also was able to attack and made good decisions when attacking while limiting his turnovers. With his size and versatility, he showcased why the Lakers need to make him a priority. Three-point shooting is at a premium in this league and having a guy who is 6-foot-9 and can play multiple positions helps a lot.

Swider has all of the tools to fit right in as a legitimate NBA player. He just needs to build out his frame and become a better defender. He will be posted up on bigger players if he were to make the team, so building his frame more and getting stronger is always a plus. Lakers fans have a reason to get excited with the young prospects they are developing for the team.

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Lakers sign rookies Pippen, Swider to two-way contracts

The Lakers have signed Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider to two-way contracts ahead of summer league.

The Los Angeles Lakers on Friday announced that they signed Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and Syracuse forward Cole Swider to two-way contracts.

The two players each went undrafted this year.

Pippen, who was named to the All-SEC first team, averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 36 games as a junior last season. He led the conference in scoring and was the first SEC player to average 20 points in back-to-back seasons since 1996.

Swider posted averages of 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and one steal as a senior. He shot 41.1% from 3-point range on six attempts per game and ranked eighth in the ACC with 81 makes.

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Pippen and Swider will each split their time between L.A. and the South Bay Lakers in the NBA G League. They are eligible to spend no more than 50 games in the NBA and will earn a flat salary equal to 50% of the minimum salary applicable to a player with zero years of service.

They are each expected to be with the Lakers during the California Classic in San Francisco and Las Vegas Summer League beginning on July 8.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Syracuse’s Cole Swider signs two-way contract with the Lakers

Cole Swider, a 6-foot-9 undrafted forward, is now a member of the Lakers.

Since they didn’t have a first-round pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers were expected to look at all available resources available to them so they could get their hands on a diamond in the rough.

They acquired the 35th pick in the draft, which they used on Michigan State University guard Max Christie, and they also signed a couple of undrafted rookie free agents.

One of them is Cole Swider, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Syracuse University.

Swider was thought to have an outside chance of being taken in the second round of the draft, as several teams, including the Lakers, invited him for a workout.

In fact, the Lakers and two other squads asked him to come back for a second workout, which is often a good sign.