Ryan Anderson: ‘We Wanted To Make A Statement’

By Evan Massey | Oct 29, 2014

Oct 28, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson (33) reacts after hitting a three point basket against the Orlando Magic during the third quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Magic 101-84. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Ryan Anderson stated that the New Orleans Pelicans were looking to make a statement against the Orlando Magic in their NBA season opener.

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The New Orleans Pelicans dominated the Orlando Magic last night in their first game of the season, and forward Ryan Anderson was a big reason why they were able to win the game as easily as they did. He is coming off of a season in which he only played 22 regular season games, and dealt with quite a few off-the-court issues as well as injury problems. Anderson talked about how the Pelicans wanted to come out and make a statement to start the season.

"”Obviously, we wanted to make a statement, set a precedent for this team for how we can play. We played hard, we fought, and we played the right away. We didn’t lose our heads. We owe this win to the group.”"

There is no question that the Pelicans have the talent to make a run at a playoff spot in the Western Conference, especially with Anthony Davis playing at a superstar level. Anderson is going to be the key bench scorer that New Orleans needs to step up and lead the second unit, and he embraced that in the first game.

Against the Magic, Anderson scored 22 points to go along with nine rebounds. He shot 40.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from downtown. New Orleans is happy to have him back in the rotation, and he is going to make a big difference on the offensive end of the court for the Pelicans.

Needless to say, the Pelicans should be very happy with their performance in the season opener. There are still 81 games left in the season, but they showed a lot of teamwork, toughness, and were able to shut down the Magic. Expect a much better season this year around from New Orleans, and for Anderson to continue having a big impact for them.

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