Offense Dailyn Swain’s offensive game hinges on a unique blend of physical tools, ball-handling creativity, and connective instincts, but it’s also marked by an unrefined jumper and limited self-creation as a scorer. His most translatable offensive strength at the NBA level is transition play. Swain thrives in the open court, using long strides, functional burst, and impressive vision to either pressure the rim or find teammates. His 21.4% turnover rate in transition does reflect some inconsistency in pass accuracy, particularly with full-court outlets, but the overall impact remains positive. He accelerates well with the ball, and his ability to create efficient rim opportunities in the open floor boosts team pace and energy. In the half-court, Swain’s value is mostly as a slasher and connective piece. He attacks closeouts aggressively and leverages his handle to navigate tight spaces. He’s not an advanced dribbler, but his slashing feel is strong, where he reads angles, keeps his dribble alive, and uses stutters, hesitations, and craft to manipulate defenders. He’s particularly effective in pick-and-roll settings as a directional driver, capable of rejecting screens or using them to create just enough space to collapse the defense. However, once he gets into the paint, the scoring options become limited. He has improved as a finisher, thanks in part to added strength, but lacks consistent vertical pop in traffic and relies heavily on body control, hang time, and extension to finish around contests. His half-court dunk rate is low (9.3%), and he compensates by using reverses, left-right rim switches, and floaters. The upside here is that he shows real touch and is patient playing off two feet, which suggests these unorthodox finishing angles can be sustainable. Swain's passing is a work in progress. He sees the floor well, often makes the correct read, and moves the ball quickly. But his execution, especially off the live dribble, can be inconsistent, leading to a high turnover rate (22.2% in PnR settings). He’s not yet a creator in the truest sense but has the tools to become a competent secondary handler. The glaring hole is shooting. Swain currently offers little gravity as a spot-up threat, and defenders are comfortable sagging off. His mechanics are inconsistent, with a segmented, two-motion release with poor energy transfer. He shoots just 0.9 threes per 70 possessions, and the low volume and confidence are telling. Despite this, his free throw percentage (82.5% on 126 attempts) and soft touch on floaters and midrange shots offer reason for long-term optimism. His form at the line is cleaner and more fluid, indicating his shot could stabilize with time, strength, and repetition. If he can become a league-average catch-and-shoot option, his offensive ceiling jumps considerably. Off the ball, Swain is opportunistic and intelligent. He’s a sharp cutter, consistently finding space when the defense collapses or overcommits. His offensive rebounding is another strength, thanks to high effort, quick second jumps, and intelligent positioning. With a 4.6% offensive rebounding rate and keen spatial awareness, he’s always a threat to create second-chance opportunities. Defense Defense is where Swain makes his mark. His combination of size, length, fluid movement, and feel allows him to take on versatile assignments, particularly as an off-ball disruptor. Xavier’s defensive metrics are drastically better with him on the floor, a testament to his impact. On-ball, Swain shines most in lock-and-trail coverage and when defending wings. He uses lateral quickness, excellent coordination, and long arms to contest and recover. He does struggle against smaller guards with high-end burst, especially when forced to flip his hips or defend sharp direction changes. But even when beat, his straight-line recovery speed and anticipation often allow him to get back into plays from behind. His screen navigation is a work in progress, as he tends to get caught on picks but shows promise in turning the corner and recovering. If he learns to “get skinny” more effectively, he has the tools to become a strong point-of-attack option. His strength gains will also help him absorb contact and contain drives more cleanly. Off-ball, Swain is elite. He plays a rover role for Xavier, tagging rollers, rotating from the weak side, and disrupting passing lanes with instincts and ground coverage. His 3.0 STL% and 3.0 BLK% highlight his playmaking acumen, and he shrinks the floor with anticipation and timing. There are occasional lapses in discipline or overhelping, but they stem more from aggression than inattentiveness, a fixable trait with reps and structure. Though he isn’t a traditional rim protector, he often ranks near the top of his team in block rate. He uses his timing and length to contest shots as a helper, especially when bigs rotate late. Xavier’s poor rim protection this year limited the impact of some of his defensive sequences, but in an NBA context with better backline help, his tools project cleanly as a help-side disruptor. Looking Ahead Dailyn Swain is one of the more intriguing two-way wings in the 2025 draft. His elite transition play, defensive versatility, and off-ball intelligence form the foundation of a plug-and-play rotation piece. The swing factor is scoring, specifically shooting. If Swain becomes a reliable floor spacer, he can earn starter-level minutes early in his career as a glue guy. If not, he’ll need to lean into connective playmaking and defensive activity to stay on the court while developing the jumper.