After capturing the NBA Championship in June with a dominating, five-game series win over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs got a bit of bad news. In early July, they found out backup point guard Patty Mills, who performed very well for the Spurs last season, would miss about seven months with a shoulder injury.
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This news came on the heels of the Spurs picking former UCLA Bruins’ forward Kyle Anderson with the 30th-overall pick in the first round of June’s 2014 NBA Draft.
Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders believes Anderson could help fill the backup point guard role while Mills rehabs.
"I think Mills is slated to be out through January, but I actually think the Spurs will find a way to manage during his absence. Popovich did a really good job of priming Cory Joseph last season, and I expect him to use him again. Kyle Anderson was a fantastic pick for San Antonio, and totally a “Spurs” pick. I see him as eventually running a bit of point-forward for them similar to the way Diaw has been used for the past couple seasons. As long as he settles in and learns the system, he seems like a guy Pop and staff will look to develop."
Anderson measured in at 6’8.5 and 230 lbs. with a wingspan of 7’2.75. He put up 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 48.0% from the field, 48.3% from beyond the arc and 73.7% from the free throw last season. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express ranked Anderson as the 21st-best prospect in the draft.