How Cole Swider can help the Indiana Pacers

Swider joined Indiana earlier this month

Oct 18, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Cole Swider (21) dunks the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports / Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers signed Cole Swider to a contract earlier this offseason, and the two-year pro will have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot with the blue and gold. He has spent the last two seasons with the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.

Swider, 25, is still looking to establish himself in the NBA. The appeal of signing a wing with his skillset is obvious, though. And should he be on Indiana's roster come opening night, there are a few ways he could help the team. His contract structure — which does not contain Exhibit 10 language, suggests he will either be with the Pacers or not in the organization at all.

At the top level of Swider's skill set is his outside shooting ability. At the NBA level, over 80% of his shot attempts have been from long range — clearly, he knows what he needs to do on offense. When he's open, he lets it fly.

Stylistically, the Syracuse product gets up many different types of threes. Catch-and-shoot opportunities are the highest quantity shot type in Swider's arsenal, and he canned those —last season, 36.4% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities dropped in from long range.

"He is a great, great shooter," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Swider, per the Miami Herald. "He really is. He's elite with what he does and I think his stints in Sioux Falls have really impacted winning. That matters. Then it's just a matter of the fit, the timing and the opportunities with us."

Swider made half of his wide open looks from deep last season with the Heat. He made the same percentage of his outside shots from the corners. While his overall three-point percentage in the NBA hasn't been anything to write home about, several stats suggest Swider has impressive utility from long range.

Cole Swider catch and shoot 3s: pic.twitter.com/d86gOPwaFS

— Tony East (@TonyREast) August 17, 2024

Look no further than the G League for more proof of that. In 52 outings in that league, Swider has knocked down 193 of his 429 shots from beyond the arc — good for 45%. His summer league play has been similarly solid when it comes to threes. Shooting is at the top of Swider's resume when it comes to impacting wins.

A great jump shot alone can get a player on to the hardwood. At six-foot-nine-inches tall with a decent outside shot, Swider's pitch to teams is simple. But that isn't all he can do.

As a wing player, he has positional size. That helps on the defensive end of the court, which is needed because his speed and athleticism are substandard. But if Swider, who is good at reading the game and positioning himself, executes a shot contest, good things happened last season.

With the Heat in 2024-25, Swider forced his opponents to miss more often than expected on every shot type tracked by the league. His length can bother people — a six-foot-11-inch wingspan is valuable. The 25-year old still has work to do on the less glamorous end of the floor, but he has the size to be effective in certain matchups.

He also keeps the ball moving when he doesn't shoot and reads the game well defensively. His ability to find open space on the floor offensively translates to defensive success — the Heat were able to maintain their defensive rating with the two-way contract wing on the floor.

Swider also rarely turns the ball over, and he has been effective finishing around the rim — albeit on very few attempts — in the NBA. A high-volume shooter who doesn't try to do too much on offense can be valuable, and it's why the Rhode Island native has found spots in the NBA.

Like any player signing a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum deal, Swider has his flaws. His speed and athleticism are limiting. As a defender, if his positioning is off, he's flimsy — and he's imperfect guarding ball handlers. Outside of shooting, he is limited on offense. He's still working to fully establish himself in the league.

But if he is on Indiana's roster for the coming season, the list of ways he can help the team is obvious. Swider can shoot, and the rest of his game works because of that. With the Pacers, that skill set should be expected.

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