Prospect Profile: Kyle Anderson
UCLA’s Kyle Anderson has to be considered one of the tougher prospects to accurately gauge as a draft prospect, as well predict what position he will actually play at the professional level. Anderson ran the point in high school, where he was a national standout and a McDonald’s All-American, but UCLA played him at the wing in his first year, alongside veteran point guard Larry Drew II, who averaged 35 minutes a game.
Anderson wasn’t overly impressive during that first season. He lacked the quickness and scoring repertoire to really generate much offense on his own, and without an effective outside shot, he became more of a passing specialist than a scorer or playmaker.
Kyle Anderson Sr., a high school basketball coach in New Jersey, had spent years molding his son into a point guard. So he was upset when coach Bob Hurley Sr. used Anderson as a shooting guard at St. Anthony High in Jersey City. “I was offended by that,” Anderson Sr. said, and continued to be upset when former UCLA coach Ben Howland did the same thing last season.
But then out went Howland, and in came Steve Alford, and with him came a move back to the point for Anderson. Instead of seeing a player who was too slow or a shooting guard playing out of position, Alford saw something unorthodox but special. Alford said, “He’s very unique. A 6’9″ point guard that facilitates the way he can. He’s a nightmare to match up with.”
Anderson quickly proved his value at the position, and was selected as one of six finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, presented annually to the nation’s top point guard. He also earned all-Pac-12 honors for his efforts. In 36 games Anderson averaged 14.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 6.5 APG, and 1.8 SPG while playing 33.2 minutes per game. His slash line is .480/.483/.737. His career numbers are 12.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 1.8 SPG in 31.6 minutes a night. His career slash line is .452/.375/.736.
Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com writes that Anderson is unique, and has no match in college basketball. Norlander stated in his article, “Standing 6-feet-9 and playing point guard — and doing it well — he’s the closest thing to Magic Johnson since Magic Johnson. No, he’s not the next Magic Johnson, nor is he approaching Magic Johnson. But a player so tall, lengthy and commanding never gets trusted to run an offense in contemporary college hoops. ”
On KenPom.com (subscription required), the per-possession player stats are tracked and ranked in 15 different categories. Players whose stats fall in roughly the top 10 percentile among players in each category are highlighted in yellow. Anderson’s stat line is yellow in 11 out of the 15. Pretty impressive for a relatively unheralded player.
It’s metrics like that, plus his intriguing size and versatility that has taken him from being just another college prospect and now positioned him as a first-round, and possible late-lottery selection. The scouts are quite divided on where Anderson will end up being taken. NBA Draft.net has him going as high as fifth. Draft Express.com has him going 19th, while both Bleacher Report and CBSSports.com have Anderson being taken 24th. He currently sits 23rd on Chad Ford of ESPN.com’s Big Board.
The biggest knock on Anderson is his speed. His nickname is “Slow-Mo,” and being slower is a major concern, especially when you consider the speed at which the point guard position, or any position, is traditionally played at in the NBA. The argument against Anderson actually starts at the defensive end. With below-average lateral quickness, he won’t have an easy time guarding opposing point guards, and without much strength, athleticism or explosiveness, he’d be open to exploitation as a wing defender. There really isn‘t a defensive position that can hide his weaknesses. Anderson might be a versatile threat on offense, but he’s a tweener on defense.
In college, Anderson was able to use his size and basketball IQ to his advantage. He ranked ninth in the Pac-12 with a defensive rating of 95.4, and his defensive win shares of 206 was good for sixth in the league. Anderson was third in steals with 1.8 per game, and also ranked first in total defensive rebounds with 270. He has the ability and desire to be productive on the defensive end, but whether or not his lack of elite level athleticism will hamper him at the next level remains to be seen.
Offensively, scouts wonder if his lack of breakdown burst will prevent him from creating his own shots or getting to his spots, both as a point guard or a small forward. Despite the improvements he made to his jump shot, it’s still not a reliable weapon. Anderson made less than one three-pointer a game, and he doesn’t have the most confident release, which dampens hope that he can become a scoring threat from outside. An NBA scout said, “I honestly don’t see him lasting more than a few years in the league, though I’ve talked to other scouts that really like him. I just think his offense will take a step back once he gets to the NBA, and his inability to defend is really going to hurt him.”
As with any point guard, his true value will be measured in how well he runs an offense. Anderson is a very strong playmaker. He is very good at finding people in transition, he throws an accurate lob pass, and is effective at throwing outlet passes to facilitate fast breaks. Anderson is also good at recognizing the open man and setting up his shooters. As a ball handler though, he was prone to turnovers, averaging 3.1 per game this year. He was especially vulnerable to being stripped when driving to the basket. More experience running the point could correct these tendencies, but it is something to be wary of.
The final verdict on Kyle Anderson is a complicated one. Natural point guards of his size don’t come along very often, so this alone makes him an intriguing candidate. His lack of speed and athleticism is an issue, especially in the NBA where guards seemingly get faster every year. Anderson has the ability to play multiple positions, which could make him a valuable role-player off the bench. I also see his size and passing ability being a plus in certain systems. The triangle offense is one that requires a “point forward”, and is a role that I could see Anderson sliding into very well. His pre-draft workouts will be especially important to where he eventually gets selected. If he can belay some fears about his lack of explosiveness, he might prove too intriguing a prospect to pass up. I believe he’ll be taken in the 15-22 range of the upcoming draft. If he ends up with a team that runs the right system and exhibits some patience with his development, Anderson might have a future in the league. I just don’t see him becoming an all-star anytime soon.
Note: Kyle Anderson Sr. tells Hoops Rumors that he was misquoted in the USA Today article linked in the third paragraph, and that he loved the multifaceted role that Hurley crafted for his son at St. Anthony. Anderson Sr. said he “never once had a complaint” with his son’s high school coach.
Draft Notes: Dekker, Daniels, Kaminsky
Wisconsin lost a nail-biter to Kentucky last night. After the game, both Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky stated they would be returning to the Badgers next season, writes Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Dekker, who averaged 12.4 PPG and 6.1 RPG was rated a potential first round selection. The 7-foot Kaminsky averaged a team-high 14.1 PPG and 6.4 RPG. He is viewed as a second rounder by scouts.
More from the college ranks:
- DeAndre Daniels‘ play in the NCAA Tournament has raised his draft stock, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. The UConn forward has taken himself from a possible 2015 second round pick to a potential first round selection this year, opines Zagoria.
- UConn’s Shabazz Napier has had his draft stock enhanced by playing for Kevin Ollie, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. According to the article, one NBA GM said, “Ollie runs all NBA plays for him and that’s going to help Napier when he comes into the league.” Napier is seen as a late first-round pick, but his lack of size has some scouts worried about his ability to defend in the NBA.
- This year’s draft class is receiving all the hype because of its strength in comparison to recent drafts, not because there are multiple franchise saviors amongst the possible selections, writes Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer.
And-Ones: Oladipo, Rice, Daniels, Ollie
UConn is headed to the NCAA championship game under second-year head coach Kevin Ollie. Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times thinks that the Lakers should try and pry Ollie away from Connecticut to become their next head coach. Pincus believes Ollie would be a good fit, with the added bonus of being a potential draw for Kevin Durant down the road, since Durant has an affinity for Ollie since his time spent as an assistant with the Thunder. Here’s a roundup of the rest of the night’s notes:
- The Wizards have recalled rookie Glen Rice Jr. from their D-League affiliate, per a team release. Rice has spent multiple stints with both the D-League and NBA clubs, and has averaged 2.9 points and 9.9 minutes played in 11 games with the Wizards.
- An NBA scout tells Adam Zagoria that UConn’s DeAndre Daniels ought to declare for this summer’s draft (Twitter links). “He’s playing the best he’s ever played, he might as well go for it,” the scout said. “It elevates his draft stock. He is taking a big step on the biggest stage.”
- The Magic could have Rookie of the Year candidate Victor Oladipo play on their summer league team in the coming months, coach Jacque Vaughn tells John Denton of Magic.com. While it’s unusual for a player as established as Oladipo to see summer league action, it is being considered as an option in case Orlando decides to continue experimenting with him as a point guard.
- After going undrafted and spending time in the D-League, Carlon Brown has improved his game overseas, leading the Israeli league in scoring. Brown tells Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders that the path he hopes will lead to an NBA opportunity has been worth it. “Going from college to the D-League to here has definitely been a learning experience, a humbling experience, gratifying to know that my patience and my hard work has paid off,” says Brown. “For me as a person it just lets me know that I’m headed in the right direction, that if I really put my mind to it like I did this summer to change my ways and habits that I can improve and I can dramatically improve my stats and be a better player. Hopefully I can continue to do that.”
Latest On Potential Bulls Signings
The Bulls plan to add Mike James, and Ronnie Brewer is a likely addition as well, per K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Johnson adds that a third player could be signed after James and Brewer, a possibility we reported when Erik Murphy was first waived. As we noted earlier today, the Bulls should avoid the the luxury tax regardless of whether Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson earn their performance bonuses, thanks to the Jazz claiming Murphy off of waivers. Murphy’s salary was greater than multiple late-season pro-rated contracts will likely add up to.
James would meet the same need that he filled when playing on a 10-day contract with Chicago earlier this season: backup point guard. Brewer, however, could move in front of Tony Snell in the Bulls’ wing rotation. Snell’s minutes have dried up recently, and Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times thinks the Bulls interest in Brewer is directly tied to coach Tom Thibodeau’s frustration with Snell.
Luol Deng was traded earlier in the season as merely a cost-cutting move, and there has been much speculation about the Bulls plans for this season and beyond ever since. Johnson notes that the team has had contingency plans in place to avoid the repeater tax even if they exceeded the tax cap this season, and it appears they’ve reached a level of flexibility to be more active. After going much of the season below the league minimum for rostered players, the Bulls are adding potential rotation pieces in a flourish. If the newest signings occur, they will combine with recent addition Jimmer Fredette to give the Bulls at or near the max of 15 players under contract.
Atlantic Notes: Odom, Sixers, Patterson
Knicks president Phil Jackson met with Lamar Odom recently, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. The conversation could have been about a potential signing, but the nature of the meeting is unclear. Odom, who played for Jackson when both were with the Lakers, had his NBA comeback stalled due to an injury while signed overseas. Jackson earlier met with Metta World Peace, another former Laker from his coaching past who is currently without a team. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers coach Brett Brown says having multiple players on 10-day contracts is a challenge, telling reporters including Tom Moore of Calkins Media it’s hard on everyone (Twitter links). “I want to help them audition, whether it’s for me here or somewhere else,” Brown said.
- James Nunnally‘s second 10-day deal with the Sixers expires today. He told Moore, “You’ve just got to be confident in what you did and what you’re doing.” (Twitter link)
- In a separate piece, Moore looks at the possibility of the Sixers not getting the top-overall pick in this year’s draft lottery, going through some of the players GM Sam Hinkie could target.
- Patrick Patterson is back on the court for the Raptors after a tough injury sidelined him for weeks, and he tells Holly McKenzie of Raptors.com that he’s glad to make it back for the postseason run. Patterson was traded away from the Rockets last year to forestall what would have been his first playoff stretch, but was sent from the Kings to playoff-bound Toronto this season. “Not a lot of guys on this team have been to the playoffs. Those guys who have been to the playoffs have talked to us and told us what it’s like and I think that’s motivation for the rest of us to continue doing what we have been doing,” said Patterson, who has been impressed by the Raptors fan base. “Canada, I figured, of course it’s hockey. I never would have imagined that the fans would pretty much sell out every game we play here. Probably the most surprising thing I’ve seen here since I’ve been here, [is] the fan support.”
Central Notes: Cavs, Mirotic, Bucks
Cavs star Kyrie Irving explained the motivation behind his venting on Twitter last night to reporters including Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer. “In terms of all the rumors and accusations of what goes on in our locker room — it’s been going on all season, to a certain extent,” Irving said. “It’s all nonsense to me, now. It’s part of the business, I get it…I don’t go out and put all these reports or all these rumors out. But people feel like it’s a good thing to continue to put my name in headlines just to get reads. That’s your job, but at a certain point, it’s gotta stop.” Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal says that Irving’s displeasure with the media doesn’t change the reality that people close to him have in fact been perpetuating the notion that he won’t stay with the Cavs.
- Lloyd adds that all of the speculation will come to a head this summer, when Irving will decide whether to sign a max extension with the Cavs. Lloyd notes that Irving has declined to go on record with him as willing to sign the extension.
- A Cavs team official told Lloyd that it’s taken “a village” to soothe the rift between Irving and Dion Waiters.
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald gives Cavs owner Dan Gilbert credit for authorizing the Scotty Hopson signing, saying the owner had no hesitation about paying an abnormally high cost for a late season addition in order to create trade flexibility with Hopson’s contract.
- Finnan adds that the rumors that Gilbert would hire a big name executive over Cavs interim GM David Griffin this offseason could include a scenario similar to New York’s, with a powerful executive being installed above Griffin rather than merely replacing him as GM.
- Nikola Mirotic told Canal Plus that he hasn’t ruled out staying with his Spanish team rather than joining the Bulls this offseason (translation via HoopsHype). Chicago is expected to prioritize a Mirotic buyout and signing this summer.
- Responding to speculation that the Bucks could be sold very soon, Milwaukee’s broker told Don Walker of The Journal Sentinel that a sale is not imminent. “There is an active and ongoing process with respect to the Bucks. But we are not going to comment on speculation,” he said.
Western Notes: Adelman, Barnes, Rockets
Wolves coach Rick Adelman spoke to reporters including Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune on Minnesota’s future, but didn’t include himself as part of the ongoing decision-making (Twitter link). “For the most part we’re still a pretty young team and the success of this franchise going forward is who else can they add,” said Adelman, who many believe will not be back to coach next year. Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer and Zgoda tweeted back and forth, speculating that Adelman’s quote was a tacit admission that he wouldn’t be a part of the Wolves future (Twitter links). Here’s more from out West:
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald says there is growing sentiment that the Warriors will look to trade away Harrison Barnes this offseason.
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com says that the Rockets reached out to point guard Malcolm Delaney to see if bringing him in from overseas this late in the season was feasible. Stein first reported that the Rockets had interest in Delaney, but the news that Patrick Beverley should return for the playoffs has Houston brass leaning against a play for Delaney.
- Stein says the Rockets believe in Sergio Llull as an NBA rotation piece, but that there are major barriers to bringing him in from overseas anytime soon, including Llull’s apparent disinterest in joining the NBA, where the Rockets own his rights.
- Erik Murphy‘s former Bulls teammates are very happy he was claimed by the Jazz, per a tweet from K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. “He works too hard,” said Taj Gibson, who had positive things to say about Murphy at the time of his release as well.
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey shared what he saw in Murphy to Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). “Big guys who can step out and shoot can be complementary to our group. And Erik is a super shooter,” said Lindsey.
Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Nash, Kings
Public comments following Darren Erman‘s firing from both Mark Jackson and Warriors brass paint the situation as unrelated to basketball or performance, per Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group. GM Bob Myers offered a statement of support to Jackson following the news. “We believe that Mark is fully capable, and we’re confident in his ability to keep going in the right direction, keep propelling us like he has all year, and we believe that he’s going to continue to be successful like he has been,” Myers said. “We believe in his ability the rest of the way.” Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Jackson told Leung he’s confident his team can overcome the latest shakeup of the Warriors coaching staff, which comes on the heels of the demotion of former assistant Brian Scalabrine. “This is not the norm,” Jackson said. “That’s OK because really in both decisions, the right decisions were made. You move forward. To me, I think it’s a great time for us as a team and an organization. To still be standing, this isn’t new.”
- Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group thinks that some of the turmoil facing the Warriors coaching staff is part of a conscious effort by owner Joe Lacob to put pressure on Jackson to see how he and the team handle it.
- Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni believes Steve Nash will play again this season despite his recurring injuries and soreness, and hopes the point guard won’t be forced into early retirement. He commented to reporters, including Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times, on the possibility of Nash being waived under the stretch provision, and not being picked up by another team. “I think it’s way too early to surmise that,” said D’Antoni. “If it happens, it happens and he’s had an unbelievable career, a Hall of Famer for sure.”
- After a blowout loss to the Warriors last night, Kings coach Michael Malone is still optimistic about what he’s building in Sacramento, he tells Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “We knew full well that it wasn’t going to be easy when we took over the job here in Golden State [where Malone was an assistant], and when I took the job in Sacramento,” said Malone. “You just have to lay a foundation and kind of pound that rock every day, and that’s what we’ve tried to do.”
Northwest Notes: Burke, Dieng, Fisher
Trey Burke‘s rookie season for the Jazz hasn’t featured much winning, but he’s trying to stay positive and make the best of his situation, reports Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. “There were a lot of good moments for us this year through all the bad,” Burke said. “It’s pretty tough, coming from high school or college you were winning for the most part, but we’re finding ways to grow as a team and the chemistry is continuing to get better and better.’’ Here’s more on the Jazz and the Northwest:
- The Jazz have given Richard Jefferson an opportunity to play, and he’s proving he’s still capable of contributing, writes Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. The 13th-year forward says he “definitely wouldn’t mind staying” another year in Utah.
- Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune doesn’t believe that Tyrone Corbin will be coaching for the Jazz next season, but he does have faith that Utath will re-sign restricted free agent Gordon Hayward.
- Gorgui Dieng‘s recent strong play has proven he’s capable of starting in the NBA, and as a result, David Thorpe of ESPN.com thinks the Wolves might be wise to try and move Nikola Pekovic (Insider link). Specifically, Thorpe thinks a deal that would send Pekovic to the Thunder for Russell Westbrook would make sense for both teams.
- Although he’s likely playing in his last year, Derek Fisher says he hasn’t thought about coaching next season, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. When asked about the possibility of coaching for the Knicks, Fisher didn’t sound interested. “That is not on my radar or in my scope or anything that I’ve thought about, even coaching in general.“
Jazz Claim Erik Murphy, Waive Andris Biedrins
The Jazz have claimed Erik Murphy off of waivers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Murphy was waived by the Bulls on Thursday, presumably to make room for a perimeter player. We had originally heard that the Bucks might be interested in claiming Murphy, but instead it’s the Jazz who have laid claim to the rookie big man out of Florida. Since the Jazz have a league maximum 15 players on their roster, they’ve opted to waive Andris Biedrins to make room, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.
Murphy, the 49th overall pick in last year’s draft, has played only 62 minutes in 24 contests for Chicago this season. His $490K salary will be wiped from the Bulls’ books and added on to the Jazz’s cap total. By getting Murphy’s contract off their books, the Bulls are now going to be able to remain under the luxury tax, even if Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah reach their earn bonuses. Waiver claims are a rare occurrence in the NBA, but the Jazz must be intrigued enough by Murphy’s size and skillset to take on the extra cap hit. He’ll be on a non-guaranteed, minimum salary deal next season.
To make the move work, the Jazz have waived Biedrins and his $9MM salary. Biedrins was acquired when the Jazz acted as a third-party in the trade that sent Andre Iguodala to the Warriors, but the veteran big man has faced injury problems and played sparingly during his tenure with the team. Utah will continue to be on the hook for his entire salary, providing he clears waivers, which is a near-certainty.
The Bulls catch a break with Utah’s claim of Murphy, whose cap hit will now come off Chicago’s books. This should give them enough room to sign multiple players to prorated minimum-salary contracts and remain beneath the luxury tax threshold even if Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah trigger bonus clauses in their contracts.