Kyle Anderson putting up crazy stats

[STAT]

I like Anderson too and I could see him fitting a Batum-like role with his passing ability and very good rebounding at the 3 spot.

But Batum is also good defender and an elite finisher, largely because of his plus athleticism. If Anderson can't fulfill either of these parts of Batum's role in the league, his ceiling will be far lower.

 

[MD13]

Two big questions with Kyle Anderson:

1) Can he keep up with SF's on the perimeter? He doesn't need to be a lockdown defender by any means, but can he use his size to make up for his lack of quickness and be above average?

2) Is his 48% 3 pt shooting a case of small sample size (55 attempts all season) or indicative of a big improvement in his jump shooting?

If he can do both, then he's definitely a starter in this league but I don't think we have enough evidence to say he can answer those questions at this point. I also wonder if he'll be able to finish in the paint at an acceptable level because while he doesn't have much elevation and he definitely won't blow by anyone, he's got great size and mixes speeds well. If he can't finish at an acceptable level attacking the paint then you'll have a Ricky Rubio situation.

Bottom line, I believe someone with his size, passing ability and BBIQ has a role in today's passing and floor spacing league. That role could be an 8th-10th man if he can't shoot or defend, or he could be a legitimate 4th-5th starter on a championship team if all goes well.

 

[beefstew]

The Lamar Odom play style comparison was perfect for Anderson, Odom during the Lakers finals runs was the X-Factor with his size, handles, and passing. Seems like a great piece for teams that already have established scorers. I don't see him really being on our radar due to our struggles of not having shooters or players who create space off the ball very well. However, if players like Kyrie and Dion could adjust Anderson with the ball in his hands off the dribble seems to always find the open player.

I don't see him going top 10 but could see him falling to an established team as a solid role player playing a utility role similar to Lamar Odom.

 

[Damage]

The Lamar Odom play style comparison was perfect for Anderson, Odom during the Lakers finals runs was the X-Factor with his size, handles, and passing. Seems like a great piece for teams that already have established scorers. I don't see him really being on our radar due to our struggles of not having shooters or players who create space off the ball very well. However, if players like Kyrie and Dion could adjust Anderson with the ball in his hands off the dribble seems to always find the open player.

I don't see him going top 10 but could see him falling to an established team as a solid role player playing a utility role similar to Lamar Odom.

Odom was the first Point Forward I can recall. Anderson has similarities, but Odom was more of a scoring PointF - Anderson is just so different. Never seen anyone like him before. His court vision is off the charts.

 

[kovanovich]

I think none other than Paul Pressey for the Don Nelson era Bucks in the 1980s is the one who really originated the point forward position. Pressey was the primary ball handler, while the nominal PG Craig Hodges served as spot up shooter (and guarded the other team's point guard), and the all-star SG Sydney Moncrief did a bit of everything.

I think the Lamar Odom comparisons break down a bit because Odom was a very good athlete. At his best, he was a top 30 or so player in the NBA, in my opinion.

 

[Nathan S]

NBADraft.net now has him going #9 to the Cavs. Not saying I agree with it necessarily, but his draft stock is really taking off. I figure a lot will come down to how he fares at the combine and in 1-on-1 workouts.

 

[oasis05]

Sounds right the second round projections were greatly exaggerated. I think 10-20 is his range. Lots of these guys will bounce around. Tough to call the middle of the draft.

 

[Cashius X]

So from what it sounds like Anderson is a Point-Forward and a player who thrives with the ball in his hands. If this is true how do people think he'll mesh on our team? We already have Kyrie, Dion , and Jack. Not saying I wouldn't want him. I still haven't done enough research on this entire class to be honest. But my initial opinion based off what I'm reading in this thread is that he'd be a poor fit for team. Furthermore, at this point in the rebuild I think we should draft best-fit as opposed to BPA unless BPA is far and away the better prospect.

 

[Nathan S]

So from what it sounds like Anderson is a Point-Forward and a player who thrives with the ball in his hands. If this is true how do people think he'll mesh on our team? We already have Kyrie, Dion , and Jack. Not saying I wouldn't want him. I still haven't done enough research on this entire class to be honest. But my initial opinion based off what I'm reading in this thread is that he'd be a poor fit for team. Furthermore, at this point in the rebuild I think we should draft best-fit as opposed to BPA unless BPA is far and away the better prospect.

I see him as a good fit because he's not a guy who needs to take 15+ shots to have an impact on a game. We already have players in Irving and Waiters (and potentially Bennett and Karasev and Hawes if he returns) who are extremely gifted scorers and can shoulder a big part of the scoring load. At the 3, we need a guy who can come in and facilitate and help get Kyrie and Dion easy shots, not another guy who's gonna look for his own shots. Delly, Walton, and Livingston all sort of filled that role for us at times over the last couple years and our offense has been at its best when they get the ball moving around freely. Anderson adds another dimension with his size and his ability to score from anywhere on the court if left open.

What makes or breaks him for me is whether or not he can stay in front of SFs on the perimeter. If he can, then all of a sudden you're looking at a guy who could be an average or even a plus defender because of his great length. If not, then he's in the same position as McDermott where he can't really guard any positions defensively.

Also, it's worth noting that in spite of his "slow" reputation, Anderson has UCLA playing at one of the fastest paces in the NCAA. He's really a guy who can push the pace in transition and speed up the offense in general, not a guy who's gonna slow us down plodding up and down the court.

 

[oasis05]

Kyle Anderson is second on ucla in steals at 2 a game behind Jordan Adams, who set UCLA's steal record. Anderson leads the team with 9 rebounds a game. He does do work defensively. An nba comparison for some time has been Boris Diaw, and its not just because of the ability to run offense. His length has been effective at the college level, and sometimes overwhelming. He made his living his freshman season battling power forwards because he was the best they had.

 

[adam81king]

I have been thinking of comparisons for Kyle Anderson. I stand by my Boris Diaw comparison, but have another one. One that I think Anderson would like more. Jalen Rose.

Also, all this talk about the Cavaliers making their own draft pick in 2014, but I wouldn't be surprised if they packaged this pick, along with other assets, (in an attempt) to get a quality veteran player back.

 

[Nathan S]

Watched their game just now...here are a few quick notes:

1: He will try to do it himself if the offense goes stagnant. He's not a particularly good scorer against a set defense, so this pretty much always ended badly.

2: His assists come from pretty much everywhere on the floor...high post, low post, off the dribble, you name it. His long arms allow him to make passes over and around defenders that would be impossible for most guards to even attempt.

3: His defensive fundamentals are pretty bad. Just like on the offensive end he gets impatient and tries to make something happen, and it leads to an open dunk or a steal/block with roughly equal probability. That's not terrible, but it's not a strategy that's going to fly in the NBA either. Much like Kyrie (it's bad to get compared to Kyrie on this end of the court) he often lets his defender get by him and then tries to poke the ball away or get the block from behind.

4: That said, his physical tools on defense give some hope for improvement. His wingspan measured at 7'2.5" last summer and he's likely grown some since then. He can play a few steps off of perimeter players and still get a good contest because he's so long and pretty quick off his feet too. He has "a nose for the ball" as they say, perhaps too much so as he often gambles too hard for the steal and gets beat. I don't think he'll ever be a good 1-on-1 defender, but he seems to have the right tools to become a good team defender.

5: He seems like a good leader, for the most part. He always took the lead in huddles (on offense and defense) and was quick with high fives and such in between plays.

 

[Damage]

I have been thinking of comparisons for Kyle Anderson. I stand by my Boris Diaw comparison, but have another one. One that I think Anderson would like more. Jalen Rose.

Also, all this talk about the Cavaliers making their own draft pick in 2014, but I wouldn't be surprised if they packaged this pick, along with other assets, (in an attempt) to get a quality veteran player back.

A smoother (Jalen was fast twitch - in your face, Anderson is not) more methodical Jalen Rose? I really like the comp.

Kid had an off night and still managed to have an enormous impact. Given our position, I'd be ecstatic with Anderson, McDermott or Gordon (& Gary Harris, depending on what happens this off-season).

 

[oasis05]

I don't think Gordon or McDermott make sense since Thompson, Bennett, zeller, varejao can all play the 4. Pick 10 isn't going to project to be any better than our other power forwards. I think it's more likely we try and fill the small forward and center holes given Deng and Hawes can walk. I'd give Anderson a reasonable chance of being drafted. I think 3 power forwards in 4 years will not happen especially due to the gaping holes at the 3 and 5 and the talent available 8-15 at those positions.

 

[Damage]

I don't think Gordon or McDermott make sense since Thompson, Bennett, zeller, varejao can all play the 4. Pick 10 isn't going to project to be any better than our other power forwards. I think it's more likely we try and fill the small forward and center holes given Deng and Hawes can walk. I'd give Anderson a reasonable chance of being drafted. I think 3 power forwards in 4 years will not happen especially due to the gaping holes at the 3 and 5 and the talent available 8-15 at those positions.

1. McDermott is a 3, not a 4.
2. We don't know what Gordon is, position wise. What I do know is he is a freak and immensely talented. He more than likely projects to the 4, but the kid can play 3-4-5.
3. And most importantly, I'm not going to base the draft pick off Thompson, Bennett, Zeller or Varejao, especially if said player - Gordon - projects to be a much, much better player than those 4. Put it another way: if we are in position to land Julius Randle, you wouldn't pass on him because you have Thompson and Bennett manning the position.