The Bucks’ decision to take Nate Ament 13th overall looked risky to plenty of people on draft night, especially with more established names still available. One of the players Milwaukee passed on was Dailyn Swain, who went 15th to the Chicago Bulls. So far, though, Swain’s Summer League showing hasn’t done much to make that miss sting.
Through two games, Swain is averaging 5.5 points and shooting just 15.5 percent from the field. He hasn’t found the range from deep, either, going 0 percent from beyond the arc.
The one area where he has held his own is on the glass, where he has collected 13 rebounds total. Even so, the offense has been the glaring issue, and for a player who just came off a strong scoring season at Texas, the bucket has been hard to come by.
Ament hasn’t exactly been torching Summer League competition, either. In three games, he’s averaging seven points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 47.1 percent overall and 37.5 percent on threes. That’s solid enough efficiency, but it hasn’t translated into a breakout performance.
Still, the expectations were different from the start. Ament is the raw 19-year-old prospect everyone knew would need time.
Swain, by contrast, was one of the arguments for going another direction because he already had three years of college experience and was supposed to be closer to ready. Early on, that edge hasn’t shown up.
None of this is especially shocking. Ament is 19, Swain is 20, and both are seeing their first NBA action in these games.
Growing pains come with the territory. The real test is what they take from these reps and how they build from here.
There’s still plenty to like about both players’ long-term outlooks. Swain has the confidence and the frame to become a legitimate two-way threat.
Ament, with more strength and more experience, has the look of a wing who could become a force. For now, it’s all about potential, and while some think Swain’s will show itself first, he hasn’t given that impression yet.
That’s okay. It’s still early.
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