He's got a nice low post game, and he's strong. Not sure if he'll ever be better than Vonleh. He seems to have a better knack for rebounding anyway...
Followed him through the tourney this year and really liked what I saw. I kept trying to put a finger on comparisons, but came up short. He in many ways reminded me of a young Charles Barkley, but no... that wasn't quite it. Tonight it dawned on me... and yes this will date me... Wes Unseld! The build, the motor, tenacity, unselfishness and playing in control are very similar. The question is will todays officiating let him play without calling a foul when the stick men gazelles bump and flop. I think he has the chance to play well along side a rim protector like Nurk.
NBAdraft.net nailed it this morning: "Caleb Swanigan Rumors There are two rumors floating around about Caleb Swanigan. One positive and one negative. The negative being that he's rumored to have an undetected heart murmur. The positive is that he will be taken by Portland if there at 26."
You nailed it with the Wes Unseld comparison. I was also thinking Charles Barkley, maybe, but Wes is a better comparison.
Swanigan shot 45% from 3 last year, so the guy cans shoot, something you can't say for Vonleh or Ed Davis. So he can score inside, outside, is a nice passer, very good rebounder....he's just sort of a tweener in that he's a tad undersized for a C and not athletic as a PF. But athletisim of big men can be over-rated.
So we added 2 big men that can shoot, which I think is something the team needed. Meyers doesn't count as a big man.
Swanigan is #3 on my program. Zach Randolph was the comparison player. http://www.sportstwo.com/posts/4176396/
Have to say something about Jordan Bell. I'd have been happy to get him, since I like high energy athletic guys, but one thing that REALLY bothered me about him, is remembering the last game in the final 4, where he failed to box out on to fucking FTs in a row at the end of the game. That drives me crazy.
Can he be a better version of Chief? Not sure he can guard perimeter, but he can stretch the field, can rebound and score inside and really shoot the 3 ball . Ok, Aminu can shoot sometimes ... but not really. Looks like we still have lots of confidence in our wing guys (although Swanigan sounds somehow like 'wing' ). I have the feeling Meyers Leonard's and Noah Vonleh job status is now ... huhmmm how do I put that?
So after listening to NO, I guess he's staying. For coming into this deep draft with three picks, I'm underwhelmed. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong. I just don't see these as guys who move the needle, especially where they were picked. I have big doubts Swanigan ever is a rotation player. Like I said, would gladly be prove wrong. I think I just expected too much.
I think the accurate way to describe this draft is to call it the "We're getting Zach Collins and we really don't care about anything else" draft.
Caleb Swanigan: Age: 20.2 Height: 6'8.5" Weight: 247 lbs Wingspan: 7'3" Standing Reach: 9'0" 18.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg (#2 NCAA), 3.1 apg, 44.7% 3pt, 78.1% ft * 2017 Consensus All-American 1st Team
