Alan Anderson: 78 G, 26 GS, 22.7 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.62 SPG, 0.14 BPG, .400 FG% .339 3P%, .780 FT%, 9.50 PER, -0.9 EWA
“Alan Anderson needs to shoot more” – Alan Anderson.
Okay, that’s not a real quote. But you’d believe it, right? Such were the jokes at the expense of Alan Anderson’s wild and perplexing shot selection this season. Anderson was one of 21 players in the league to shoot less than 34% from three despite taking three or more attempts per game.
I’ve always thought of Anderson as two players: there was Alan Anderson the role player, taking open corner threes and driving to the hoop when an open lane appeared. This Alan Anderson was the good Alan Anderson. Then there was the Alan Anderson who thought he was Kobe Bryant — taking wild, fade-away, contested, mid-range jumpers.
But no matter how frustrating or pleasing Anderson was this season, he exceeded his minuscule expectations as the 15th man on a team that was supposed to contend for a title.
When injuries hit early, Anderson answered the bell: he filled in admirably as a wing defender capable of knocking down an open shot, and clung onto his rotation spot as the season moved along.
Nobody expected the 31-year old journeyman to play in 78 games — 22.7 minutes per game — and eventually start two playoff games for the most expensive roster in NBA history. Give him credit for that.
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