Justin Anderson

[Marcus]

Y'all remember Jimmy Jackson? This guy is built like him.

If we stick to JJ's, I'd go with Joe Johnson. Jimmy Jackson was a heckuva talent back in the days when he teamed (in more ways than one ) with Jason Kidd.

*rimshot*

[Ruzious]

I'm a fan, but looking closer at his stats, I see 3 issues - under 50% shooting on his 2's, low FT attempts, and low steals + blocks - surprising for an athletic defender with excellent length and leaping ability.

[djthesonicsfan]

I could easily see Presti drafting Anderson at #14. He's the entire package. Interesting article detailing how Anderson improved his 3pt shot last summer...http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/chris_dortch/05/28/with-jumper-now-in-arsenal-virginias-anderson-ready-to-make-noise-in-nba/

[doordoor123]

I could easily see Presti drafting Anderson at #14. He's the entire package. Interesting article detailing how Anderson improved his 3pt shot last summer...http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/chris_dortch/05/28/with-jumper-now-in-arsenal-virginias-anderson-ready-to-make-noise-in-nba/

Could be, but the Thunder tend to promise players before they draft them and so far Cameron Payne is the only guy we hear with a promise and I'm fairly sure the Thunder promised he wouldn't fall past them. I can see the Pacers taking him before then, but it's hard for me to think the Thunder will get another wing. They're stacked at that position and even have Huestis joining the team this next year. They'd have to make some trades if they're going to take Anderson and if they did trade players, they might wait till half-way through the season because they have the same team as last year and keeping them all together builds chemistry. They're also getting a new coach that will need to figure out who he likes. Maybe players that didn't play well under Brooks will play better in a different situation. I actually think they're more likely to get a combo-guard like Jerian Grant because of need be, he could also play off-guard (though Jerian Grant is a terrible example of that because he's better with the ball in his hands).

[djthesonicsfan]

I could easily see Presti drafting Anderson at #14. He's the entire package. Interesting article detailing how Anderson improved his 3pt shot last summer...http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/chris_dortch/05/28/with-jumper-now-in-arsenal-virginias-anderson-ready-to-make-noise-in-nba/

Could be, but the Thunder tend to promise players before they draft them and so far Cameron Payne is the only guy we hear with a promise and I'm fairly sure the Thunder promised he wouldn't fall past them. I can see the Pacers taking him before then, but it's hard for me to think the Thunder will get another wing. They're stacked at that position and even have Huestis joining the team this next year. They'd have to make some trades if they're going to take Anderson and if they did trade players, they might wait till half-way through the season because they have the same team as last year and keeping them all together builds chemistry. They're also getting a new coach that will need to figure out who he likes. Maybe players that didn't play well under Brooks will play better in a different situation. I actually think they're more likely to get a combo-guard like Jerian Grant because of need be, he could also play off-guard (though Jerian Grant is a terrible example of that because he's better with the ball in his hands).

You touch on most of the points. And ya, they have six guys who could compete for the starting SG spot. The simple problem is that none of them are exactly the right guy.

Waiters - needs the ball too much with Durant & Westbrook on the floor and not a great 3pt shooter, a good man defender, can get his own shot, a better distributor than he gets credit for, Donovan will be his 6th coach in 5 seasons, takes too many long step back twos, crappy at free throws... he's an ideal sixth man, not a starter, at least on our team.
Lamb - plus 3pt shooter & rebounder, historically soft on defense, needs to get stronger, chained to Brooks' doghouse, developed confidence issues... will Donovan give him a legit opportunity, and if so, will/can he take advantage of it?
Roberson - plus defender but he can't shoot, so bad he invented a new category (D & no 3)... his defensive contributions as a starter are severely compromised on the offensive end as opposing teams literally don't guard him as they choose to gum up Westbrook's and Durant's driving lanes instead.
Morrow - excellent 3pt shooter, the antithesis to Roberson (3 & no D)... terrific role player, not a starting SG.
Huestis - still no idea why Presti drafted him, same player as Roberson... another NBADL season is in his future.
Abrines - young shooter stashed in Europe, nothing but potential at this point... not the answer, at least this year.

We don't really need any other help except resolving this starting SG issue.
- Augustine was excellent in backup PG role last season and has embraced his role. No reason to believe he won't resign after next season. Christon looked very good in the NBADL.
- Singler did not play well for us last year. But it was a messed up situation with constantly changing roles & responsibilities due to injury. It's likely he resigns and does much better as backup SF. It's a 5-10 minute per game gig behind KD. Not sure if PJ ever pulls his head out. Also, Waiters, Morrow & Roberson can slide over in small ball lineups.
- We're five deep in the front court. Except Collison, they are all young. The problem will be getting every one minutes.

So ya, I think it's a SG as there will potentially be a few good ones to pick from at 14. The dream pick would be Winslow, but trading that far up would be difficult. Although I also agree that it's likely Presti trades off a few guys after Donovan has had a chance to make up his mind on who he likes. We've just got too many guys.

[J_Ray]

I recently did an article on Anderson and his potential due to his immense athleticism. Could be a Danny Green type player, an above average shotblocker for a guard to go along with his defense. Check out my article: https://dimestonylon.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/pillow-talk-pt-2-adonis/

[Barnsey]

I'm a fan, but looking closer at his stats, I see 3 issues - under 50% shooting on his 2's, low FT attempts, and low steals + blocks - surprising for an athletic defender with excellent length and leaping ability.

My thoughts exactly.
I love his personality, it's easy to see him working hard on his game and improving in the future. If his shot is legit, then combine that with his defense/athleticism and it's a good role player.
But looking at the numbers, there must be a certain "it" factor missing from his game. Maybe he just doesn't have a good feel for the game?
It'll be fascinating to see if his game translates. I'll be pulling for him.

Remember Jeff Taylor from 2012 draft? I remember feeling he would be a good role player in the league due to the athletic 3&D thing. He hasn't really panned out yet. I think Anderson is a bit more of a physical specimen though.

[Barnsey]

Just watched some video of Anderson, i think i've pin-pointed what it is -- He doesn't seem to have great hands or control over the ball. Also it seems like his "spatial awareness" is lacking, relative to usual NBA-level prospects. I think this might be why his production isn't dominant.

But that might be some confirmation bias on my part, because i was looking for something wrong?
Somebody should check some vids and lemme know your impressions

Does anybody know when he started playing basketball? Maybe he's a late bloomer type...

[Ruzious]

Just watched some video of Anderson, i think i've pin-pointed what it is -- He doesn't seem to have great hands or control over the ball. Also it seems like his "spatial awareness" is lacking, relative to usual NBA-level prospects. I think this might be why his production isn't dominant.

But that might be some confirmation bias on my part, because i was looking for something wrong?
Somebody should check some vids and lemme know your impressions

Does anybody know when he started playing basketball? Maybe he's a late bloomer type...

He was highly recruited - I recall my school (MD) making him their number 1 target - but he was regarded as a great athlete that needed to develop some skills. He was not a good shooter, so it was a surprise when he developed into a 3 point shooter at UVA. He's never been a good ball-handler - and maybe you pointed out why - it might be his hands. He could always really defend well, so he can make a good living being a 3 and D player.

Jeff Taylor had very short arms, and he wasn't a 230 lb specimen that Anderson is.

[Barnsey]

Just watched some video of Anderson, i think i've pin-pointed what it is -- He doesn't seem to have great hands or control over the ball. Also it seems like his "spatial awareness" is lacking, relative to usual NBA-level prospects. I think this might be why his production isn't dominant.

But that might be some confirmation bias on my part, because i was looking for something wrong?
Somebody should check some vids and lemme know your impressions

Does anybody know when he started playing basketball? Maybe he's a late bloomer type...

He was highly recruited - I recall my school (MD) making him their number 1 target - but he was regarded as a great athlete that needed to develop some skills. He was not a good shooter, so it was a surprise when he developed into a 3 point shooter at UVA. He's never been a good ball-handler - and maybe you pointed out why - it might be his hands. He could always really defend well, so he can make a good living being a 3 and D player.

Jeff Taylor had very short arms, and he wasn't a 230 lb specimen that Anderson is.

That's interesting to know. Still doesn't explain his average defensive stats though. Maybe he just doesn't gamble on D? just stays in front? What's Virginia's defensive scheme like?

One positive thing that can be taken from Anderson's stats (other than 3p%), is his A/TO ratio, which 1.45. (2.5 asts per40, only 1.7 to's per40)

[Ruzious]

I recently did an article on Anderson and his potential due to his immense athleticism. Could be a Danny Green type player, an above average shotblocker for a guard to go along with his defense. Check out my article: https://dimestonylon.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/pillow-talk-pt-2-adonis/

Thing is- even when Danny Green was absurdly underrated at UNC - he caused tons of turnovers. Maybe he had quicker hands or better hand/eye coordination. Plus, Green was a solid ball-handler.

[djthesonicsfan]

Doesn't Virginia play a very slow game along with a very particular defensive scheme? I've heard that but I haven't watched any of their games. Anyway, could that be why his stats are relatively low?

[machu46]

Doesn't Virginia play a very slow game along with a very particular defensive scheme? I've heard that but I haven't watched any of their games. Anyway, could that be why his stats are relatively low?

They slow things down a ton offensively; basically use all 35 seconds every possession. Defensively, the one thing that always stood out to me about them was the way they double teamed the ball any time it touched the post. Their defensive rotations were second to none.

There's a breakdown of it here:

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports. ... u-beat-it/

[J_Ray]

I recently did an article on Anderson and his potential due to his immense athleticism. Could be a Danny Green type player, an above average shotblocker for a guard to go along with his defense. Check out my article: https://dimestonylon.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/pillow-talk-pt-2-adonis/

Thing is- even when Danny Green was absurdly underrated at UNC - he caused tons of turnovers. Maybe he had quicker hands or better hand/eye coordination. Plus, Green was a solid ball-handler.

I agree Green was extremely underrated, and I had him being more valuable than Ellington at the time of the draft. Difference is UNC had a much more open environment to take chance while Virginia are uber conservative. Virginia's pack line defense sits back and helps drives, forcing jumpers. The system didn't exactly give much opportunity to play the passing lanes as you would of liked. Anderson showed some good ability to get the run down blocks that Green has a knack for but Virginia rarely gave up any transition opportunities. Going back and watching actual games, Anderson does flash some quick hands at times but the main focus on defense was not to gamble and keep teams out of the paint. His numbers as a freshman were pretty close to Green in pace adjusted per 40 are similar but the longer he was in the system, the more conservative his stats became.. As Anderson moves over to a faster game, his physical tools should cause a bit more havoc.

[crows2]

Doesn't Virginia play a very slow game along with a very particular defensive scheme? I've heard that but I haven't watched any of their games. Anyway, could that be why his stats are relatively low?

Virginia's defense is predicated on NOT gambling on the perimeter. They want the opposition to shoot long jumpers instead of getting any penetration. There are plenty of articles on it if you want to know more. I think this would explain Anderson's low steal numbers.

I think with potential glue guys like Anderson who are great athletically, it comes down to how much they want it. Anderson seems to want it. I think he'll succeed in the league.

[djthesonicsfan]

Here's a question that perhaps some of you east coast guys could answer. How would you specifically compare Anderson to Winslow considering such factors as size, athleticism, length, motor, bball IQ, passion for the game, coachability, shooting, handle, creating for others, leadership, mental toughness, age and anything else you think is notable?

[Zordor]

Here's a question that perhaps some of you east coast guys could answer. How would you specifically compare Anderson to Winslow considering such factors as size, athleticism, length, motor, bball IQ, passion for the game, coachability, shooting, handle, creating for others, leadership, mental toughness, age and anything else you think is notable?

Winslow is the better player, there is a chance he could be a poor man's lebron in the long term, that being said, he has some deficiencies he got exposed at the combine and is definitely going to have to step his game up at the NBA level. That being said, watching both Duke and UVA play a lot, Winslow is the reason I have always thought Okafor was a bit overrated (still a top 5-10 talent, just overrated) I could see Winslow slipping in the draft a bit, but I feel like he was the true lifeblood behind the duke team this year.

Anderson is different, he is a guy who was highly touted out of highschool, got to UVA and rather flopped his first season because of ego, so playing behind Joe Harris the first 2 seasons he had to learn humility, teamwork and BBIQ, but Anderson still has that ability he had out of highschool, just without the ego and he has sharpened his skills.

Both Players will end up most likely going lower than their talent level, but:
Team player: advantage Anderson
Ball handling: advantage Winslow
Team Defense: advantage Anderson
1 on 1 Defense: advantage Winslow
Athleticism: some will disagree but I say its equal
Shooting: advantage Winslow
Potential: Advantage Winslow
BBIQ: Advantage Anderson
Ego: bout Equal
Age: Doesnt really matter
Injury Concerns: Advantage Winslow
Coachability: advantage Anderson
Creating for others: Actually have to say Winslow, like I said, I think he made Okafor a top 1-2 guy
Leadership: I think Winslow can be called to lead if he is the best guy on the team but I have to give it to Anderson who can be a great leader in the starting unit or off the bench even if he isnt the best player on the team.

Basically Anderson and Winslow are 2 different types of players, Winslow can be a complimentary piece on a good team as we saw with Okafor, but I believe he thrives as the #1 option and can play at an All Star Level on any team, Anderson is a guy who is great within the team concept and a good #3rd option or even 6th man, if he is on a bad team or gets very little playing time, he is not going to do well, but if he gets a team who have good supporting pieces or a superstar and he is given ample minutes, he could easily be a legit x factor on a team, but probably not an all star

[djthesonicsfan]

Here's a question that perhaps some of you east coast guys could answer. How would you specifically compare Anderson to Winslow considering such factors as size, athleticism, length, motor, bball IQ, passion for the game, coachability, shooting, handle, creating for others, leadership, mental toughness, age and anything else you think is notable?

Winslow is the better player, there is a chance he could be a poor man's lebron in the long term, that being said, he has some deficiencies he got exposed at the combine and is definitely going to have to step his game up at the NBA level. That being said, watching both Duke and UVA play a lot, Winslow is the reason I have always thought Okafor was a bit overrated (still a top 5-10 talent, just overrated) I could see Winslow slipping in the draft a bit, but I feel like he was the true lifeblood behind the duke team this year.

Anderson is different, he is a guy who was highly touted out of highschool, got to UVA and rather flopped his first season because of ego, so playing behind Joe Harris the first 2 seasons he had to learn humility, teamwork and BBIQ, but Anderson still has that ability he had out of highschool, just without the ego and he has sharpened his skills.

Both Players will end up most likely going lower than their talent level, but:
Team player: advantage Anderson
Ball handling: advantage Winslow
Team Defense: advantage Anderson
1 on 1 Defense: advantage Winslow
Athleticism: some will disagree but I say its equal
Shooting: advantage Winslow
Potential: Advantage Winslow
BBIQ: Advantage Anderson
Ego: bout Equal
Age: Doesnt really matter
Injury Concerns: Advantage Winslow
Coachability: advantage Anderson
Creating for others: Actually have to say Winslow, like I said, I think he made Okafor a top 1-2 guy
Leadership: I think Winslow can be called to lead if he is the best guy on the team but I have to give it to Anderson who can be a great leader in the starting unit or off the bench even if he isnt the best player on the team.

Basically Anderson and Winslow are 2 different types of players, Winslow can be a complimentary piece on a good team as we saw with Okafor, but I believe he thrives as the #1 option and can play at an All Star Level on any team, Anderson is a guy who is great within the team concept and a good #3rd option or even 6th man, if he is on a bad team or gets very little playing time, he is not going to do well, but if he gets a team who have good supporting pieces or a superstar and he is given ample minutes, he could easily be a legit x factor on a team, but probably not an all star

Nice write up. Thanks!

[No-Man]

Comparing Anderson with Winslow is like comparing PJ Tucker with Butler or Leonard.

[djthesonicsfan]

Comparing Anderson with Winslow is like comparing PJ Tucker with Butler or Leonard.

Why? I'm not trying to say Anderson is better than Winslow. Just asking and legitimately wanting to hear your explanations. Thanks.