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By Steve Hunt/FoxSportsSouthwest.com
In his three years at Oklahoma State, James Anderson definitely left his mark on the school record books. As a junior for Travis Ford’s Cowboys, Anderson averaged around 22 points a game and earned Big 12 Conference Player of the Year honors. He was also a big reason why O-State earned a spot in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
But after the Pokes were eliminated in the opening round by Georgia Tech, many OSU fans knew that they had likely seen Anderson play his last game for the Orange and Black. Not soon after the tournament, Anderson confirmed that and declared himself for the ’10 NBA Draft. On draft night, the consensus was that he was a lock to go in the first round, which he did at No. 20 to San Antonio.
He comes to a Spurs team that likes to run the pick-and-roll, a play Anderson ran on a pretty regular basis in Stillwater. In short, it’s a good situation for any NBA rookie to head into. Not only will he get coached by Gregg Popovich, who has won four les but he’ll also have great veterans around him to learn from like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
How does it feel to be a Spur?
Anderson: It’s an honor just to be a part of the Spurs family right now and just be part of the dynasty and the tradition that they have going on here. I’m going to try to help keep it going and help keep the championship run going for this organization.
Discuss your time at OSU.
Anderson: I thought I had a very successful career at OSU. I learned a lot there. I matured a lot as a person and a player. Being at OSU and going through some of the stuff I went through there made me ready for the NBA.
Talk about how tough your decision to leave school a year early was to make.
Anderson: It was tough. Losing that game in the first round in the NCAA Tournament made me think about the chance to go back and go for it again and make it to the second round. But I realized it was time for me to make the jump to the next level.
What was the pre-draft process like for you?
Anderson: It was a long process, going from place to place. I worked out a lot and didn’t really get too much feedback that I could use to find out where I could be going. You don’t have any idea about where you’re going the whole time. It’s sort of nerve racking but at the same time, it’s fun to compete against other top guys and getting to meet different guys that you had seen play. Mingling with them and hanging out with them, we talked about the whole process. It was kind of fun at the same time.
You have a great group of veterans to learn from like Duncan, Ginobili and Parker. Talk about that.
Anderson: I can’t wait to just get on the court with them, be around them and learn all I can from them. I look forward to talking to them and finding out how they got to the point that they’re at where they’re very successful in their careers. I’m going to try to learn as much as I can from those guys and continue to help develop my game.
Talk about playing for Gregg Popovich.
Anderson: I’m really excited to learn from him. I know that more than anything, he will help me become an even better player. I know I’ll learn a lot from him, learn a lot about the game and how everything works.
San Antonio runs a lot of pick-and-rolls, a set up you’re more than familiar with. Talk about coming to a team that suits you in that respect.
Anderson: That’s a plus, that they run a lot of pick and roll. We ran a lot of pick and roll in college. I should feel pretty comfortable just being in that set and whatever they run out of that set. I look forward to playing with those guys. Being familiar with that offense is a plus.
Has it hit you yet that basketball is now your job?
Anderson: Yes, it has hit me. These last couple of days, I have a lot on my schedule and the season hasn’t even started yet.
What are you expecting from Summer League?
Anderson: I expect to learn anything I can and see how everything works. I want to get to know how certain things are run and a lot of things about playing the game.
Growing up in Arkansas, you didn’t watch the Spurs much, did you?
Anderson: Yeah, I was an MJ (Michael Jordan) fan, so I watched the Bulls a lot.
Where on the road are you expecting to have the biggest cheering section?
Anderson: It will probably be Memphis or New Orleans because they are the two closest cities to my family. There will be a lot of people in Memphis. It will be really cool. A lot of them will probably come see a home game here since it’s not too far out of the way. It’s only a seven or eight-hour drive. So a lot of them will probably come down and catch some home games. That will be really cool, just seeing them sitting in the stands.
You come to a town that is basketball crazy. How do you feel about being in such an environment?
Anderson: I think it’s going to be a lot like it was at OSU. We had dedicated and loyal fans there who came out and supported us through thick and thin. I think it will be pretty similar to how it was up there.
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Good at the pick and roll huh? Maybe he can be another combo guard project as well.
with him being a pure shooter and being familiar with the pick n roll offense, this may be a reach but he reminds me a little of ray allen...if he can knock down the 3 consistently this may be the second coming of jesus shuttlesworth.
I remember reading from DraftExpress that OSU ran a lot screens for him.
I could see Anderson starting this year once he gets some time on the court and acclimated. He's got the perfect build and skill-set to be their 2-guard.
Maybe he could start if we had a better sf but we have richard sorryson.
You need shooting on the floor if RJ and Tony are out there with Tim and Tiago. James brings that, and I think we might even find that he's a pretty capable defender at the NBA level when he's not burdened with as much responsibility.
Who knows if he can even shoot a high percent from the nba three point line. It might take him a while considering the significant increase in distance. If he can play defense and shoot the three that will be great. If that is the case I hope he can get some time at sf while manu is on the court.
There's really hasn't been much of a distinction between the two and 3 in the Spurs lineup physically, and there's no reason to think that Anderson or Ginobili couldn't get minutes there -- Manu gets minutes there all the time, especially when you consider the Parker Hill combo.
Anderson's a damn good shooter. He'll be fine once he gets acclimated and situated; but that could take some time.
If Pop goes with his preference of bringing Ginobili off the bench, I wonder if he would then allow Anderson to be the starter?
I certainly see Pop at least giving that a shot at some point during the season.
Thanks for posting.
If Anderson adapts well and stays healthy, I can't see him not starting or making some starts this year at some point.
Not to mention that college shooters shoot outside from the college 3 point line anyway to get ready for the NBA.
.Where on the road are you expecting to have the biggest cheering section?
Anderson: It will probably be Memphis or New Orleans because they are the two closest cities to my family. There will be a lot of people in Memphis. It will be really cool. A lot of them will probably come see a home game here since it’s not too far out of the way. It’s only a seven or eight-hour drive. So a lot of them will probably come down and catch some home games. That will be really cool, just seeing them sitting in the stands
Dallas is closer than New Orleans, if the family and friends are coming from Junction City, AR. Dallas is about the same distance as Memphis.
Of course, any friends he has in Stillwater would not have far to drive to get to Oklahoma City, either.
If Anderson starts, then Hill returns to the bench? I thought Pop was loving the Hill/Parker combo.
I'm sure he did with that group and it'll still get utilized during the course of games, but Parker-Hill isn't a championship-caliber starting backcourt. They ain't Thomas and Dumars.
I really look forward to seeing what James Anderson can do with the Spurs! He is a terrific talent.
With that said, he does NOT make my all interview team. I have yet to hear anything very interesting come out of his mouth. He's right down there with Hedo.
Of course, Ice - his first few years here, he said more "you know"s than could comfortably be fit within a given sentence. He got better, though....you know.
He doesn't seem to be too comfortable in front of the camera and behind the mic, as he's had trouble finding the words or the right ones at time, but I'm sure he'll get better.
As long as he's the player I believe he's capable of being and given all that I've found out about the type of person he is, I couldn't care less about his interviews, ya know?
Too bad he will be traded to Memphis for Xavier Henry.
Actually had that same thought when I saw Memphis being Memphis with the contract.Too bad he will be traded to Memphis for Xavier Henry.
Is he playing in summer league? If so, how has he looked?
No. Playing it cautious with a hamstring injury.
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