June 17, 2014

Karvel Anderson with the one man Haka.

Anderson is one of the best shooters in the class, but has been doing so under the radar. A much better shooter and player than someone like Marshall Henderson - who nonetheless gets all the attention because apparently he really wants it - Anderson has become an extremely capable off-the-ball role player, very efficient and with no great holes in his game.

The most obvious drawback for Anderson is his size. He is the size of a point guard without being a point guard. It counts against him in the obvious ways - he can easily be shot over, is not especially effective at the rim, and the like. Yet despite this, Anderson has developed as quite the off guard.

The best part of Anderson's game is of course the shot. He shoots 46.3% from three point range on more than seven of those attempts per game, and that cannot be faked. He uses fakes to get spacing for the jump shot, and can catch white hot to the point that he seemingly cannot miss. He shoots off the catch, off the dribble, off the curl and off the step back, making contested shots even when his 6'2 frame is towered over. His shot selection is judicious, and he shoots better than the Travis Baders of this world despite having to take many more contested looks and shots off the dribble than they do. He can't get open regularly off the ball like they do, admittedly, but he suffers not for this. Anderson gets his feet set quickly, gets good lift on the jumpshot, shoots it with a pretty quick release, is strong for his size and fairly fast, and can put on dynamic shooting performances.

It's the bulk of his game, admittedly. Although he will up-fake, use subtle hesitations and attack close-outs to get in there, Anderson can do little in the trees and often has to kick out (effectively, it should be added). His cuts aren't the sharpest and he can't overpower anyone. Nevertheless, Anderson will put in a lot of work off the ball, shoot when he has it, takes few passing risks and makes few passing mistakes without being a ball stopper. He uses his good quick hands to overcome the size disadvantage, pursues the ball, avoids fouling, and plays very smartly within physical limitations, certainly a better passer than his low assist totals suggest.

Anderson is efficient from the field, keeps the turnovers low, is versatile, high IQ, and even has the feel-good vibe going with his story of one-time homelessness. What's not to like?

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