Cole Swider Showcasing 3-Point Shooting For Miami Heat In Summer League

Cole Swider's 21 points Sunday afternoon were second only to Kel'el Ware's 26 points. He is shooting 56 percent from behind the arc after going 5-of-10 against the Sacramento Kings II team.

Mar 22, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Cole Swider (21) attempts a three-point shot over New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall (8) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

With all of the hype surrounding rookie Miami Heat Kel'el Ware's first two games in the California Classic League, it is easy to forget the rest of the players.

All it takes is checking the box score to take notice of Heat forward Cole Swider. He is making his best case for a roster spot this fall.

All Swider did on Sunday afternoon was score 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including five 3-pointers. He averages a league-best 4.5 3-pointers a game. This follows his 17-point barrage in the loss to Golden State Saturday night.

Heat summer league coach Dan Bisaccio took notice of Swider's performance and commented about it after the game. He said he was more impressed with his ability to serve as the veteran and provide team leadership.

"It starts with his leadership. He does a great job behind the scenes," Bisaccio said. "We knew he would be a scorer, but we needed him to be a team leader. We need him to build on the shooting and become more of a playmaker."

Bisaccio did bring up a play toward the end of the game where Swider fed Ware for an alley-oop, which ended with a thunderous dunk.

"He was feeding some guys. He had some nice sprays," Bisaccio said. "He hit Kal'el on a nice roll at the end of the game. Those are the things we are looking for. He's doing a great job at that."

Scott Salomon is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He can be reached at scottsalomon67@gmail.com.

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