Anderson looked like a steal before his injury and was competent on both ends of the court. His size and athleticism was a good change-up for the Spurs early in the season.
However after the injury he looked very slow. Hopefully he can regain his mojo otherwise he's going to the Toros. Foot fractures ftl
From what I saw when he defended Kobe in that game against the Lakers where Pop didn't play the starters, he has potential to be a really good defender. He has a ton of athleticism. He also displayed an ability to score in a variety of ways pre-injury.
It's hard to come back to the NBA after an injury like that, especially considering how much time he missed and the fact that he was a rookie in the first place.
Watched this guy a ton in college. He can score with the best of them and has potential to be a great defender. He will be a player.
Fans usually fall in love with the "underdog" player that shows some flashes but clearly lacks skills. Players like Williams (no athleticism), Hairston (no outside shot), and Gist (perimeter game) were not first round talents with a solid all-around skillset for their NBA position.
Again, tempering the expectation that Anderson isn't going to be a franchise guy or all-star, I don't think it's hard to envision him as a solid starter in the future.
James Anderson looked great early in the season considering he didn't get much opportunity in preseason or summer league type games because of his injury. He showed a good defensive effort along with a very accurate 3 point shot. He does not seem to possess that lightning quickness or athleticism that you want in a 2/3 gaurd, but he had plenty of opportunities to fizzle, but instead showed Pop he was worth a little playing time his first year.
I must of missed all of this. I never seen Anderson display a "ton of athleticism" before the injury. He can't score in a variety of ways either. All he can really do is shoot wide open 3's. He has limited ball handling and athleticism. That will prevent him from being anything but a 3pt shooter on offense.
I just don't see what all of you guys see in Anderson. He plays like an old guy that lost a step. Hopefully we didn't see him in peak physical condition at the beginning of last year.
I agree 100 percent. Another thing I remember of his early play is he seemed to be good a making the smart play on offense. I think where the Spurs really missed him was defensively. Neal surprised and provided a lot of offense but the team defense got progressively worse as the season went on. I think if he played he could have helped the defense improve. He also put everybody in their correct position. With his absence Ginobili was forced to play more backup 3.
I'm not sure the reasoning behind that. Popovich is a very overrated coach in my mind, so that could have a lot to do with it. Let's remember, he didn't play Splitter until it was painfully, painfully obvious that he was the best fit to play. He also had Jacque Vaughn ahead of Beno Udrih in the rotation. Any idiot could make a better decision than that. You would barely need to know basketball to know Beno Udrih >>>>>>> Jacque Vaughn. Let's also not forget playing Michael Finley at PF in the playoffs, when he played a total of 0 minutes at PF in that regular season. They lost that series, by the way.
And whoever said he's better than Hill, quite simply doesn't know what they're talking about. He's nowhere near George Hill, not presently. The stats back that up. The eye test backs it up. I have no idea why anyone would even think about saying that.
The poster you quote probably went overboard with the "ton of athleticism" comment, but you've swung the pendulum back the other way by suggesting he's devoid of athleticism and will be relegated to a spot-up 3pt shooting role. The fact is that he took almost twice as many two-point attempts (81) as three-point attempts (46). His scouting report also suggests that he's capable of scoring in a number of ways. He may not have elite athleticism, but it should be adequate to play and defend on the wing.
Time will tell whether or not he's the calibur of player that I think he can be (solid starter), but I feel confident in the early results and scouting report on his skills and character.
Several posters have said his worth can be measured by scouting reports since his injury limited his game, even during the Spring after returning to action. Fair enough. I went looking for scouting reports on Google and found at least six. All were favourable about his offense--although some called him a scorer not a shooter with limited speed and athleticsism.
However, I didn't find much to brag about on his defense in the scouting reports. This from Draft Express is probably the longest analysis.
The biggest in Anderson’s armor and the main thing holding him back from being able to project him as an outstanding NBA role-player has always been his play on the defensive end. Unfortunately, not much seems to have changed this year. Anderson isn’t much of a presence at all on the perimeter, looking very upright in his stance and showing below average lateral quickness, getting beat on a regular basis off the dribble by fairly mediocre college slashers. He doesn’t use his body well enough, lacks a significant degree of physicality in his approach, and does not utilize his length at all to contest opponents’ shots.
It’s possible that Anderson looks this way in part due to the fact that he’s trying to stay out of foul trouble or because of how heavily Oklahoma State relies on him offensively. Still, it’s not a very encouraging sign when projecting him to the NBA level. Teams will need to study this part of his game closely in private workouts to see if he has more potential in this area than he’s currently showing, as it’s an important factor considering his likely role in the NBA.
From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz1W3JOgV4e
http://www.draftexpress.com
Normally scorers spend so much energy on offense that they are outworked on defense, which is what happened in Oklahoma State. In the Spurs system, James Anderson's first priority is to play defense and shoot open 3's. He played pretty good defense this year. No reason to think he cannot be a good defensive player. Just takes lots of hardword and experience.
I agree that the biggest question mark for Anderson is his defense. I read the same scouting reports, and even his pre-injury lateral quickness was not stellar. Having said that, his pre-injury performance showcased some ability to use his length to disrupt shots and passing lanes. As with every other facet of his game, these stats saw decline post-injury and they weren't admittedly eye-popping stats to begin with.
Speaking for myself, I said he has good defensive potential (length and strength are positives). I don't know how much he can do to improve his lateral quickness, but he's said to have excellent work ethic. If he dedicates himself to improving at least his fundamentals on that end, I think he'll be solid defensively.
And in that case, I expect his ability to score the ball offensively and play both wing positions to facilitate him starting at some point for the Spurs.
Check some old OK State tape - the guy is somewhat (not a ton) athletic. He can shoot the 3, he can drive and he does play defense. He's not a superstar at any one particular skill but i'd say he's above average to average at all three. The most important aspect about him is that he's willing to try and get better, to listen and to be a team player.
Sooner or later, the Spurs need to get younger. Both TD and Manu are considering retirement - especially w/ the lockout. Manu and Tim can never be replaced but that doesn't mean you don't put the next guy in. Anderson (or Butler depending on who steps up the most) is most likely THAT guy.
[quote]Wrong, with a broken foot, you have to be very careful not to over do it. He gained 15lbs and was not even close to basketball shape when he came back.
Every shooter will tell you if your legs are gone so is your shot, he was in poor basketball shape. Put a 15lb wt vest on and see how you play.
Anderson is a very good player who if he improves his ball handling and keeps wt down can be a 20ppg guy....16-20. He is very much a Michael Redd type player who may be a better defender. The lock out is not helping him much. Missing all last year and now getting no coaching may set him back.[quote]
Wow. This is a cool comparison. Their Skill set is very similar, but Michael Redd was a superstar. Michael Redd, before his major injuries, was well on his way to becoming a top 7player. Hopefully James Anderson works on his Jumper like Michael Redd did early on his career.
no wonder why he looked tired so easily after his comeback
What you cite as excuses is exactly what prompted me to start a thread about him. It is what makes me a little skeptical.
1. At ude. If I'm a rookie who got injured, I'd want to avoid putting on any extra pounds and would try to come back in shape. Is he gonna come back after the lockout overweight again. One good exercise would be pushing away from the dinner table.
2. How long does it take me to get in basketball shape when I return to practice and the coaches respond by playing me in 18 of the remaining games so that I average 17 minutes for the year?. That's a lot of floor time opportunity that Pop gave to Anderson.
3. Why are my FG stats mediocre (.383) and so I get beat out by another hot shooting rookie who's 4 inches shorter and maybe less athletic or able on defense?
4. In fact, I don't get any minutes inthe playoffs while the other rookie and a much traveled defensive player do. Why is that?
Just askin'
Redd is an awful defender and an even worse athlete.
You can question his athleticism all you want, but I can assure you his at ude is not a problem. I watched him his entire college career, and he's a very humble, hard working guy. It's hard to stay in shape with a bum leg. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt until he plays a few games next season...
He was poised to be Pop's boy until the injury. Non issue. Neal didn't waste his chance. He's a baller
I truly believe that James Anderson is good enough to quadruple question mark. No doubt in my mind.
He will just be remembered for cheering and laughing at a LeBron dance number.
...
I read the whole in thread before looking at the date of the OP...what a waste...
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