NBA Draft Profile: Kyle Anderson
Jan 23, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard/forward
Kyle Anderson(5) directs the offense in the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA won 91-74. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
With the NBA Draft this Thursday, Go Joe Bruin will be looking into a few of the UCLA Bruin’s potential draft selections. Today we look Kyle Anderson.
About Anderson
6’9″, 230 lbs., Point Guard/Forward, 2 years in college
His Time at UCLA
2013-14 Averages (per game)
| Minutes | Points | Rebounds | Steals | Assists | FG% | 3pt FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33.2 | 14.6 | 8.8 | 1.8 | 6.5 | .480 | .483 | .737 |
Anderson is one of the best all-around players in the draft. In his two years at UCLA, he was the floor general to some very talented teams in both the defense-based Ben Howland structure and the up-tempo style of Steve Alford. This past season, Anderson led the team in minutes played, rebounds, assists, three-point field goal percentage and blocks (0.8 per game) and was second on the team in scoring only to Jordan Adams (who is also a potential draft pick this year). He was selected as a All-Pac-12 First Team member and captured an AP All-American Third Team honor. He was also the Most Outstanding Player of the Pac-12 Tournament, which the Bruins won.
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Why Anderson Will Be An Asset
Where to begin with Anderson? Well, he is a 6’9″ “point forward” that has great hands, vision and basketball IQ. With his height, he can literally see over several defenders, which gives him an edge as a distributor. As a scorer, he can make shots from behind the three-point line,consistently hit the mid-range jumpers and can take it to the rim when needed. Overall, as a PG, he is very patient and looks for the best way to score utilizing everyone on the court.
As a defender, he is good to an extent. If he is playing as a forward, he has no trouble grabbing rebounds. He also has an impeccable knack for running the break which would often stems from his hustle on the boards. As a guard he has the length to take on smaller guards, but may get burned with speed.
What Anderson Has To Work On
Anderson is very thin and not very explosive, which is kind of an odd combination that worked for him in college, but might be exposed in the Association. There is a reason he is called “Slowmo”. He plays patiently, but slow. He did well against shorter defenders last season, but will know what true speed is when he meets some of the more talented pros next next season. He should do better as a forward, but he also needs to bulk up if he expects to bang under basket.
Projection
Anderson is projected to go mid-to-late first round, potentially selected by:
#17 Boston Celtics, #18 Phoenix Suns, #19 Chicago Bulls, #20 Toronto Raptors, #21 Oklahoma City Thunder, #22 Memphis Grizzlies, #24 Charlotte Hornets, #25 Houston Rockets
Summary
It will be interesting to see how Anderson transitions to the pros. He will develop a lot in the next few years, but right now he is not only ready, but able to step in and help several teams in the Association. If he does last until late in the first round, there is a better chance that a more talented team will pick him up, which may mean less time on the court next year, but will great for his potential to learn the ins and outs of a good organization. Either way, any team that picks him up is going to get their money’s worth.