Swain earns early Bulls camp praise after difficult Summer League

Dailyn Swain's first Bulls training camp opened with a better assessment from coach Tiago Splitter than his difficult Summer League debut had produced. After Tuesday's practice, Splitter said the rookie was attacking the paint and playing with more confidence, according to separate reports by the Chicago Sun-Times and Bulls on SI.

That is an encouraging September update for a player still trying to earn an NBA role. It does not settle where Swain fits in Chicago's rotation. The Sun-Times reported that Splitter had made no commitment to a rotation spot, leaving preseason games as the next chance to measure his progress against another team.

Swain shot 4-for-31 from the field in four Summer League games, including 0-for-7 from three-point range, according to the Sun-Times. He described moving on from that stretch with help from fellow rookies Caleb Wilson, Tobe Awaka and Jaylin Sellers, as well as a conversation with Splitter about a new goal. Wilson said the two had spent the summer working together in Chicago.

The first practice also gave Wilson his first experience of a full NBA session. Bulls on SI reporter Elias Schuster posted this brief video from the day and reported Wilson's description of a competitive, physical practice. Wilson is the player shown in the clip.

Swain's immediate emphasis is defense. He told reporters he wanted to guard the opponent's best player and make his offense develop from there. Bulls on SI reported that he had on-ball responsibilities in Tuesday's session and named Wilson, Norman Powell and Buddy Hield among the players he defended.

Those assignments give Swain specific work beyond trying to erase a poor shooting sample. He has to handle stronger and more experienced scorers while showing that his renewed aggression can hold up in games. Splitter's early praise describes progress in camp; it leaves the regular-season job open.

For Chicago, the useful next evidence will be Swain's preseason possessions, the defenders he is asked to cover and whether his attacks into the paint create productive offense. One promising practice gives him a starting point after a rough summer.