Kyle Anderson stands out at Celtics workout

[NorthernLightning]

One thing you guys need to understand about a guy like Anderson with center reach and rondo pg skills:

When a wizard like that, and there haven't been many or any at that height and length, get the ball in face up situations, his defender must play the passing lanes as well as the towering fade-away jumper and the dribble drive.

You might think, well he's already skilled, so he has no upside, but highly skilled and intelligent players are usually the guys who turn their great skills into dominant weapons.

Paul Pierce was pretty highly skilled coming out of Kansas, but did that mean his upside was limited? Heck no, he just got more and more highly skilled, one of the most skilled players in the league.

Same with Carmelo, another highly skilled kid coming out of Syracuse. His game has developed by leaps and bounds, in the most subtle of ways that make him absolutely devastating.

So it might be hard to picture Kyle Anderson getting much better, because he is already highly skilled, but you ain't seen nothing yet.

Once he adds 10-15 pounds he's going to be one of the better players in the league, both an elite pg and an above average scorer, and an almost elite rebounder.

Triple double threat for 10-15 years, every single night.

[NorthernLightning]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSq0BbC2YLI

[NorthernLightning]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgKDPE8X5IM

Check out the iso on Aaron Gordon at 1:35. This kid can dog anybody, and will only get better and more confident.

[Galeto]

No, Durant with his nearly 7'5 wingspan and 9'2 standing reach has nearly center measurements.  I write nearly because lots of centers have standing reaches in the 9'4 range and above.

Lots, eh? Lots?

Yes, lots.

If you think Anderson has center-like measurements, well, he doesn't.  Another player with similar measurements is Rudy Gay who has a 7'3 wingspan and 8'11.20 standing reach.  The point is that Anderson isn't so uniquely long that he's going to be able to play above defenders without any lift whatsoever.

[NorthernLightning]

He's way longer than Paul Pierce but has the same crafty, herky-jerky game, and will only get craftier and herky-jerkier. Small forwards simply can't defend the pass and the dribble drive and still block the step back fadeaway jumper, and most PFs will be unable to stop Anderson from getting wherever he wants to go.

He's only going to get stronger and more savvy, and you're going to ask yourself how you slept on the long 6'9 point forward with the silky smooth game and elite composure and IQ.

The jump from top college ball to the NBA isn't as big as you'd think, especially for highly skilled guys with good size.
And his passing game translates the best. TONS of easy buckets for his teammates, which just sets up the rest of his rapidly developing scoring game.

[Galeto]

One thing you guys need to understand about a guy like Anderson with center reach and rondo pg skills:

When a wizard like that, and there haven't been many or any at that height and length, get the ball in face up situations, his defender must play the passing lanes as well as the towering fade-away jumper and the dribble drive.

You might think, well he's already skilled, so he has no upside, but highly skilled and intelligent players are usually the guys who turn their great skills into dominant weapons.

Paul Pierce was pretty highly skilled coming out of Kansas, but did that mean his upside was limited? Heck no, he just got more and more highly skilled, one of the most skilled players in the league.

Same with Carmelo, another highly skilled kid coming out of Syracuse. His game has developed by leaps and bounds, in the most subtle of ways that make him absolutely devastating.

So it might be hard to picture Kyle Anderson getting much better, because he is already highly skilled, but you ain't seen nothing yet.

Once he adds 10-15 pounds he's going to be one of the better players in the league, both an elite pg and an above average scorer, and an almost elite rebounder.

Triple double threat for 10-15 years, every single night.

Who thinks that?  No one.  You have the most straw man arguments.

If you think people are down on Anderson because he's just so dang skilled already, that's absurd.  It's all about his athleticism and how that's going to affect his defense and limit hi from using his offensive skills.

What in the heck does playing the passing lanes in individual defense mean?  You play close or give space based on some combo of whether the guy can shoot or drive.  You "play" the passing lane by keeping your hands up.  Defenders don't go, "OMG, this guy can pass, do I play close or give him space."  That doesn't happen. 

[Galeto]

He's way longer than Paul Pierce but has the same crafty, herky-jerky game, and will only get craftier and herky-jerkier. Small forwards simply can't defend the pass and the dribble drive and still block the step back fadeaway jumper, and most PFs will be unable to stop Anderson from getting wherever he wants to go.

He's only going to get stronger and more savvy, and you're going to ask yourself how you slept on the long 6'9 point forward with the silky smooth game and elite composure and IQ.

The jump from top college ball to the NBA isn't as big as you'd think, especially for highly skilled guys with good size.
And his passing game translates the best. TONS of easy buckets for his teammates, which just sets up the rest of his rapidly developing scoring game.

This is nonsense.  You don't really defend a pass when you're guarding someone.  You're not preoccupied with someone making a standstill pass by your ear.  You defend the pass by trying to keep your man in front of you so he doesn't break down the defense and get himself into good passing opportunities.  Anderson doesn't have the quickness to make defenders play off him so without picks to create separation, he's going to have real difficulty getting his "towering fadeaway" off. 

[NorthernLightning]

Defenders don't go, "OMG, this guy can pass, do I play close or give him space."  That doesn't happen.

Sure they do. It's just that there's only a handful of elite passers in the leauge. If Durant had Anderson's vision and pg IQ, he would already have a ring or two by now, and would be in the finals this year.

Look at the way guys guard Rondo. They are totally pre-occupied with what kind of pass he might be about to make. Every movement of his eyeballs must be accounted for, every shift in his body, every nod of his head. They play off Rondo as much to defend the passing lanes as to defend the dribble drive and force the jumper.

Defending elite passers is exhausting and distracting, and this distraction is a big part of how Anderson is able to get wherever he wants to get to on the court.

[NorthernLightning]

You defend the pass by trying to keep your man in front of you so he doesn't break down the defense and get himself into good passing opportunities.

How do you keep your man in front of you? By playing off him a bit. Anderson's step-back jumper is only going to get more and more lethal, and even his release will become a bit quicker.

I bet Brad Stevens is drooling over this kid for his motion offense.

[NorthernLightning]

And not only is an elite passer distracting for the man guarding him, but the rest of the defense is distracted as well, and gets pre-occupied with what the Houdini is going to do.

[NorthernLightning]

The only issue from Boston's perspective is the fact that Anderson wouldn't be a great fit defensively at 3 next to KO and Sully. That trio would not work well together defensively, even if they would totally gel offensively with the Spurs like iq and synergy.

[Galeto]

Defenders don't go, "OMG, this guy can pass, do I play close or give him space."  That doesn't happen.

Sure they do. It's just that there's only a handful of elite passers in the leauge. If Durant had Anderson's vision and pg IQ, he would already have a ring or two by now, and would be in the finals this year.

Look at the way guys guard Rondo. They are totally pre-occupied with what kind of pass he might be about to make. Every movement of his eyeballs must be accounted for, every shift in his body, every nod of his head. They play off Rondo as much to defend the passing lanes as to defend the dribble drive and force the jumper.

Defending elite passers is exhausting and distracting, and this distraction is a big part of how Anderson is able to get wherever he wants to get to on the court.

No they don't.  They play off him because they don't respect his jumper.  That's it.   Chris Paul is one of the best passers in the league but because he can shoot, defenders try and get up into him.  I don't even know where you're coming up with this. 

Again, you don't specifically defend the pass when you're guarding someone.  That's a byproduct of defensive principles about keeping your man in front of you. 

[Galeto]

You defend the pass by trying to keep your man in front of you so he doesn't break down the defense and get himself into good passing opportunities.

How do you keep your man in front of you? By playing off him a bit. Anderson's step-back jumper is only going to get more and more lethal, and even his release will become a bit quicker.

I bet Brad Stevens is drooling over this kid for his motion offense.

How do you keep you man in front of you?  By moving your feet laterally.  If a defender is slower, he will give enough space as befits his length.  Anderson is going to be slower than almost every defender he goes up against.  They're not going to have to give him space.  They can play right up on him and if that happens, Anderson's going to have real trouble getting his shot off without using picks. 

[NorthernLightning]

No, because Anderson also has elite handles and savvy, and the long arms to keep the ball out wide while driving to the hoop with his more athletic defender on his hip, helpless.

And even when Anderson can't get enough of a jump on his man to get a clear lane to the basket, he can always get enough of a jump on his dribble drive to carve out room in the general direction of the basket, where he can either make the fading 7-10 foot runner, or hit the open man.

[Galeto]

No, because Anderson also has elite handles and savvy, and the long arms to keep the ball out wide while driving to the hoop with his more athletic defender on his hip, helpless.

And even when Anderson can't get enough of a jump on his man to get a clear lane to the basket, he can always get enough of a jump on his dribble drive to carve out room in the general direction of the basket, where he can either make the fading 7-10 foot runner, or hit the open man.

Dang, the NBA is so easy that a guy with little quickness can render a defender helpless because his arms are barely longer than his defender.  You realize if he holds the ball out "wide" that help defenders can get at it.  He's not playing one on one.

He does not have elite handles.  He has a nice crossover and he doesn't fumble it when dribbling full court but smaller defenders strip him with alarming ease.  One reason he can't be a true point guard, among other reasons, is because he won't be able to bring the ball up against ball pressuring point guards with any regularity.

Whatever.  Based on your idea of defending the pass, this is pointless.