Ryan Anderson Rumors: Pelicans roster will benefit from return

By Josh Hill | Aug 29, 2014

Jan 18, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans power forward Ryan Anderson out with an injury is seen during a timeout during the second half of a game against the Golden State Warriors at the New Orleans Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 97-87. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

The New Orleans Pelicans are a team that is on the rise in the NBA but the growth has come at a much slower rate than many would have liked to see.

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Injuries and other setbacks have made it hard for the team to grow but this upcoming season looks like it might see a turnaround as the roster is charged and the injuries seem to be in the past. According to Cody Taylor from Basketball Insiders, one of the reasons that the Pelicans will be on the rise this year is thanks to their revamped roster and Ryan Anderson will be a big part of that.

"With a healthy roster and the addition of Omer Asik, the Pelicans should be a team on the rise this season and Anderson will have a big part of that. Anderson is one of a few stretch four bigs that can both ends of the floor effectively and he proved to be effective when paired next to Anthony Davis."

When Anderson is playing at his best, he’s drawn comparisons to David Lee and Kevin Love except Anderson has the ability to play defense at times with the best of them. His three-point shooting is vital though, and just having that alone back will help open up the Pelicans offense and stimulate growth for the younger players.

Be sure to check FanSided.com’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.