Portland Trail Blazers: 5 reasons Caleb Swanigan was a good pick

4. His perimeter shooting makes him a nightmare for opponents to defend

Swanigan is a big-bodied brusier in the paint, but what makes him such a good pick is his ability to stretch the floor. He shot 44.7 percent from three on 2.4 attempts per game in 2016-17. This was a marked improvement from the 29.2 percent he shot his freshman year. He did not qualify for any national leaderboards; his 85 attempts fell under the threshold to do so. However, Swanigan’s three-point percentage would have been seventh in the NCAA.

This aspect of his game puts him right in line with the other stretch bigs on the Blazers’ roster. What sets him apart from them, however, is his efficiency from outside and the volume of his attempts. Comparing his attempts per game and percentage coming out of school to the others, he has a leg up on his shooting potential.

Noah Vonleh comes the closest, shooting 48.5 percent from three in his lone year at Indiana in 2013-14. But it was only on 1.1 attempts per game. Al-Farouq Aminu shot 27.3 percent from outside on 2.1 attempts per game in 2009-10, his sophomore season at Wake Forest.

Meyers Leonard didn’t even begin shooting threes consistently until his third year in the NBA. But in 2011-12, his last year at Illinois, he went 1-for-11 from beyond the arc.

Swanigan’s ability to shoot so well from outside at a consistent clip coming into the league means less time is needed to develop his shot. More time can be allocated to focusing on other aspects of his game.