San Antonio Spurs Rookie Kyle Anderson Shines In D-League Debut
Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
The San Antonio Spurs assigned Kyle Anderson, the 30th pick in this year’s draft, to their D-League affiliate on Sunday. Anderson has gotten off to a slow start this season, scoring just six points on 2-for-23 shooting from the floor in sporadic minutes. With the Spurs struggling themselves to find their groove in the early going of the season, Anderson’s assignment comes as no surprise. He needs time to develop, and the D-League is currently the best place to make that happen.
Anderson’s assignment came in time for the Austin Spurs’ matchup against the Santa Cruz Warriors. He played 42 minutes in his debut and filled up the stat sheet, pouring in 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists on 7-for-16 shooting. The Spurs won by a final score of 110-105.
For not having played many minutes over the last few weeks, Anderson looked very comfortable with the ball in his hands. His first basket came at the 8:30 mark in the first quarter in the form of an open three from the right corner, and he knocked down a couple of midrange shots as the game progressed. On several occasions, he pulled down a defensive board and started the fast break by pushing the ball himself or quickly lobbing the ball over the defense. Either way, his teammates found themselves on the receiving end of many crisp passes.
In the half court, Anderson used his craftiness to create the space he needed to get shots off. He got into the teeth of the defense almost at will and used his length to float runners over the outstretched hands of opposing bigs. He had his shot blocked at the rim a couple of times in the opening quarter but adjusted as the game progressed.
On the defensive end, Anderson had several lapses. Elliot Williams, who finished the game with 21 points, had a number of easy looks in the first half because Anderson got lost on screens. He also helped off of his player too much at times, which freed them up for open looks from the perimeter. Michael Thompson made him pay by knocking down several threes.
When the Spurs drafted Anderson, they weren’t expecting him to make an impact right out of the gates. He has the luxury of slowly adjusting to the NBA game, which is why this won’t be his only D-League assignment this season. With that in mind, though, he certainly has the tools to develop into a complimentary piece for the Spurs in the future. As he proved in his debut on Sunday, he can impact the game in a multitude of ways, be it from knocking down outside shots, creating his own looks in the half court, grabbing key rebounds, or setting up teammates for easy baskets.
Anderson has an unorthodox game but one that certainly fits the Spurs’ mold.