James Anderson: Why You Should Expect Him to Play Immediately

[urunobili]

lol timvp=lurker23

I guess it all started after timvp announced he would go tot he Rocky Mountain SL league games and then he couldn't go... all of a sudden... we got lurker23 starting to give us takes from the entire tournament and gr8 quality posts... mmmmmmm interesting...

[lefty]

I was excited on draft night when we picked Anderson

Good skillset, confident, agressive and will allow Manu to rest.


Besides, as Lurker23 or Timvp mentioned, he is good off the pick-n-roll, and Splitter is excellent in that area too.

I wouldnt be surprised if Pop plays them at the same time.

[TD 21]

I agree that, one way or another, the Spurs have to get better defensively. At this point, I think the most likely way of that happening is via individual improvements and a re-commitment to team oriented defense. On the whole, I think the addition of Splitter will help this.

As far as the wings go, I'm beginning to wonder if the role of "stopper" is one that should have left with Bruce Bowen. In the last two years, the Spurs have given plenty of minutes to Ime Udoka and Keith Bogans with the idea of them being defensive role players, but have had fairly little success. If you have the right personnel, like the Spurs did with Bowen, then it's a role that can play great dividends. If you don't have the right player(s), then it can jam up your entire rotation system. I don't see that player in the Spurs pipeline or on the free agent market. If the Spurs truly want a defensive stopper good enough to lean on, they'll probably have to obtain him via trade.

I agree.

I see it as a necessary role, particularly for a team with serious championship aspirations. You can't expect to go through Bryant, James, Wade, Durant, Anthony, etc., without a single player capable of adequately guarding them. I'd rather they stand pat than bring back Bogans, Udoka or bring in someone of that ilk. Jefferson, if the spirit moves him, should still be able to defend as well as them and if Anderson and Neal can shoot high 30s to low 40s from three, then that's more valuable than the mediocre defense provided by them. Agreed; it'll have to come via trade.

[Pauleta14]

I was excited on draft night when we picked Anderson

Good skillset, confident, agressive and will allow Manu to rest.


Besides, as Lurker23 or Timvp mentioned, he is good off the pick-n-roll, and Splitter is excellent in that area too.

I wouldnt be surprised if Pop plays them at the same time.

Why this signature Lefty!?

what a terrible memory...

[024]

i'm not going to really expect anderson to play good defense overnight. people thought richard jefferson would play solid defense now that he didn't have to shoulder the scoring load but that turned out to be a dud. since i have not seen anderson play against NBA caliber players, i will withhold my judgment of him. but he needs to do two things to stay on the court: play defense and make jump shots. rookies are terribly unpredictable. they could shine like blair and hill or crash and burn.

[Obstructed_View]

One of the reasons past Spurs teams were good defensively is because they played team defense with an urgency that we've seen precious little of the last few years. I put up a stat about opponent's three pointers attempted a few days ago. You don't limit another team's three point attempts because you have a lockdown defender, you do it because every person on the floor is making that his mission.

If everyone in the organization buys into this "we're just not the same team we used to be" or "we don't have the players" mentality, then they're going to stink, and 60 percent three point shooting won't be enough to help them. There isn't any reason that this team can't play significantly better defense, even without a Bruce Bowen or Robert Horry or Fabricio Oberto on the floor. They're still capable of playing with the lockdown at ude. Throw Anderson into the rotation with an expectation that he's going to need to learn Spurs defense on the fly alongside guys that believe in Spurs defense and we all might end up surprised with how the team fares.

[galvatron3000]

I expect Anderson to be a regular rotation guy if Pop doesn't go Larry Brown on us. I place him ahead of Neal and possibly ahead of Hill at the backup 2 if his defense is good.

[Brazil]

lol timvp=lurker23

I guess it all started after timvp announced he would go tot he Rocky Mountain SL league games and then he couldn't go... all of a sudden... we got lurker23 starting to give us takes from the entire tournament and gr8 quality posts... mmmmmmm interesting...

so lurker23 is a reverse troll: Timvp has created a troll to post clever and solid breakdowns. hum thats a concept

[Leonard Curse]

I wish we could have seen some of Anderson during the SL. It just remains a big question mark. I guess well see what he can bring once the pre-season starts.

i def think that was a stealth move by poopoo and to keep him somewhat of a secret. a young kid with a hammy strain shouldnt take that long.

[analyzed]

Totally agree. Given that Anderson is likely to get significant minutes (20 min) of which 10 min will likely be played as SF to back-up RJ's 30 plus minutes. Assuming we signed a defensive oriented SF (Bowen type) what value would that provide when he would be left with less than 8 minutes playing time .

It only makes sense to get a bowen type, if we actualy will use him ( rotation guy , top 8 player) . Given that the Spurs are unlikely to make that move. The Spurs have no chocie but to fill the (bowen perimeter defender) role by commitee from the players who will get actual PT. (Hill, RJ and Anderson)

If the opositions best perimeter scorer is a SG (Kobe). Hill takes the role (primary perimeter defender). If it's a big SF (Carmelo/ Durant) RJ takes the role. Anderson defenesive assignment will be primary against 2nd team players, so that's not to much of a concern.

I agree that, one way or another, the Spurs have to get better defensively. At this point, I think the most likely way of that happening is via individual improvements and a re-commitment to team oriented defense. On the whole, I think the addition of Splitter will help this.

As far as the wings go, I'm beginning to wonder if the role of "stopper" is one that should have left with Bruce Bowen. In the last two years, the Spurs have given plenty of minutes to Ime Udoka and Keith Bogans with the idea of them being defensive role players, but have had fairly little success. If you have the right personnel, like the Spurs did with Bowen, then it's a role that can play great dividends. If you don't have the right player(s), then it can jam up your entire rotation system. I don't see that player in the Spurs pipeline or on the free agent market. If the Spurs truly want a defensive stopper good enough to lean on, they'll probably have to obtain him via trade.

[anonoftheinternets]

so lurker23 is a reverse troll: Timvp has created a troll to post clever and solid breakdowns. hum thats a concept

a reverse troll is where the owner acts like an ass. along with posting quality breakdowns like you said.

[DesignatedT]

i def think that was a stealth move by poopoo and to keep him somewhat of a secret. a young kid with a hammy strain shouldnt take that long.

poopoo?

[lefty]

Why this signature Lefty!?

what a terrible memory...

Why? you are German?

[analyzed]

Speaking of playing the role of (bowen) defending the best perimeter player by commitee. Bowen defended multiple type of players from Steve Nash to Dirk. Here is how I see the Spurs current line-up assignment vs main Western conference scorers.

Hill guards : Nash , Deron Williams, Kobe, Roy :

RJ guards: Durant, Anthony

Splitter guards : Dirk

[Libri]

Insightful analysis by lurker23.

Anderson and SanTiago Splitter are the two players I'm looking forward to seeing. Even Choo Choo, if he gets playing time.

[Obstructed_View]

Speaking of playing the role of (bowen) defending the best perimeter player by commitee. Bowen defended multiple type of players from Steve Nash to Dirk. Here is how I see the Spurs current line-up assignment vs main Western conference scorers.

Hill guards : Nash , Deron Williams, Kobe, Roy :

RJ guards: Durant, Anthony

Splitter guards : Dirk

I disagree. The Spurs have to guard top players by committee now. When you lose Deion you have to start sending a safety to his side again.

[DesignatedT]

Speaking of playing the role of (bowen) defending the best perimeter player by commitee. Bowen defended multiple type of players from Steve Nash to Dirk. Here is how I see the Spurs current line-up assignment vs main Western conference scorers.

Hill guards : Nash , Deron Williams, Kobe, Roy :

RJ guards: Durant, Anthony

Splitter guards : Dirk

Something wrong with how Dice defended Dirk? He did the best job on him that I've seen someone do in awhile.

[DPG21920]

Look what you started, Bruno....

Anderson is still a bit of an enigma to me. I really have not seen him play very much and I don't know what to expect. Hopefully he surprises, which most Spurs draft picks usually do.

[analyzed]

Absolutely agree Dice did an excelent job on Dirk, moving forward however with Dice's advancing age and Tiago's youth, I see Tiago taking over as primary defender against Dirk

Something wrong with how Dice defended Dirk? He did the best job on him that I've seen someone do in awhile.

[DrSteffo]

Speaking of playing the role of (bowen) defending the best perimeter player by commitee. Bowen defended multiple type of players from Steve Nash to Dirk. Here is how I see the Spurs current line-up assignment vs main Western conference scorers.

Hill guards : Nash , Deron Williams, Kobe, Roy :

RJ guards: Durant, Anthony

Splitter guards : Dirk

I hope not. Nash owns Hill. Dice will defend Dirk. RJ is not a great defender and would be automatic -10 p or more.

[benefactor]

I'm not sure what to make make of Anderson either. I certainly don't agree with the assertion that the Spurs somehow stole a lottery pick. He was never in the lottery...or even close on almost every mock I saw. In fact, most mocks agreed that he would be available right around the time the Spurs picked.

One thing is for sure...Anderson is not going to get 20 MPG right out of the gates. His shooting should translate, but there are two big adjustments he will need to make. First, he will need to adjust to being a role player. He is going from being the main offensive option to third or even fourth offensive option. He will need to adjust to a system where very few plays will be run for him and he will need to learn that deferring is a better idea most of the time...as the Spurs are better when moving the ball to get the defense off balance then getting it back into the hands of one of their play makers.

The second thing has already been touched on...and that is defense, primarily team defense. He might be able to get by with being a below level man defender, but there is absolutely no reason for him to be on the floor if he cannot learn the finer points of good team defense. Anything he gives the Spurs offensively will be completely negated if he cannot rotate, trap, etc. properly. This is going to take time..as he is not a defensive minded player and was not required to do it in college, so this is the main reason I think it will be closer to mid-season before he starts to see anything in the 20 MPG range.

All of that said, I hope he can be a surprise. It's becoming more and more apparent that the Spurs are not going to have much size or experience behind Parker/Manu/Hill/RJ on the perimeter. One of the young guys is going to have to beat the learning curve a bit and take the reins as a role player. Perhaps he can be the one.

[CaptainLate]

I'm sure you know how to take it.

Back to the topic: Spurs only have 4 vet perimeter players (Parker, Hill, Ginobili and Jefferson). Other perimeter players (Neal, Tmeple, Jerrels, Gee and Anderson) are unproven. It's a given that at least 1 or 2 of these players will get consistent playing time.

Can we leave Jerrels out of the picture.
The only way he sees PT is with the Toros.

[CaptainLate]

One thing is for sure...Anderson is not going to get 20 MPG right out of the gates. His shooting should translate....He will need to adjust to a system where very few plays will be run for him and he will need to learn that deferring is a better idea most of the time...as the Spurs are better when moving the ball to get the defense off balance then getting it back into the hands of one of their play makers.

You don't bring a shooter like JA to the team to have him defer, regardless of whether he's a rookie or not. When Pop sends in JA, he'll tell JA that if he starts deferring when he's open, then he'll be sitting the bench.

[benefactor]

You don't bring a shooter like JA to the team to have him defer, regardless of whether he's a rookie or not. When Pop sends in JA, he'll tell JA that if he starts deferring when he's open, then he'll be sitting the bench.

Place in my post where I said he shouldn't shoot when he is open? Go back and re-read what I said. I think you missed the point.

[CaptainLate]

Place in my post where I said he shouldn't shoot when he is open? Go back and re-read what I said. I think you missed the point.

I didn't say you said that. My point is, rookies tend to do exactly what you said -- defer b/c they are afraid of making a mistake. They won't shoot EVEN WHEN THEY ARE OPEN. Pop will tell him to be aggressive and shoot -- AND KEEP SHOOTING. I'd much rather see him missing than Bonner.