Justin Anderson was the central piece in the trade that allowed the Philadelphia 76ers at the deadline. Now, he’s already losing his relevancy in the rotation.
At this point, the motives behind the Nerlens Noel trade are relatively obvious. Rather than shelling out a max contract for an above average backup, the Philadelphia 76ers offloaded the defensive savant in favor of more financial flexibility moving forward — something a team rumored to be in the Kyle Lowry market could benefit from.
Philadelphia 76ers
The centeral piece in their return, though, didn’t necessarily equate to the hype that many generated leading up to the trade deadline. With Noel being, by far, the most talented big man on the team outside of Joel Embiid, many thought the former Kentucky standout would garner a substantial return on the open market. Inevitably, the Sixers got Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut and the rights to a first round pick that would never convey.
While this isn’t entirely the fault of Bryan Colangelo, it does show a potential lack of awareness in the front office. For a team that arbitrarily put Jahlil Okafor through a trade gauntlet that never manifested, there was clearly a disconnect between Colangelo’s perception of his bigs’ value and where it actually stood. If Noel — even in the midst of an expiring deal — didn’t receive more than the extremities of Dallas’ rotation in return, Okafor’s value had likely, for all intents and purposes, lost it’s tangibility.
The Sixers are now tasked with attempting to salvage the remaining value in that Noel trade — value that is quickly diminishing.
While there’s always the potential to find a contributor in the second round, betting on a late draftee is far from desirable when attempting to justify trading a player of Noel’s magnitude. Justin Anderson is, for the time being, the only remotely valuable part of that transaction — and his services are quickly becoming unnecessary.
Anderson’s depleted role in the rotation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When analyzed from all angles, Anderson’s downfall can be attributed to the improvement of players around him more so than poor play from the former Virginia standout. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot made strides far quicker than most expected, while Robert Covington‘s ascension as one of the league’s better perimeter defenders will likely yield a considerable pay raise this offseason.
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When considering the potential for Philadelphia to add two more wings next season — via the draft and Furkan Korkmaz — it’s difficult to see Anderson’s stock rising in the near future. His game doesn’t necessarily give Brett Brown much offensively, while his defense isn’t superior to those ahead of him in the rotation.
It’s obviously difficult to count Anderson out, especially given his personality on the floor and the undeniable effort his gives on a possession-by-possession basis. His strong frame and constant grit make him an irritant on the perimeter, and players of that ilk normally have some semblance of a role in today’s league.
It’s his offense, though, that caps his ceiling. He’s a career 28.9 percent 3-point shooter through his first two seasons, while his tendency to overexert himself offensively often leads to inefficient pull-ups — something that can offset the natural flow that Brett Brown’s system creates.
On a team that will be centered around a frontcourt playmaker and an elite five man in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, a player in the mold of Anderson’s archetype simply doesn’t fit. Brown’s offense needs shooting, while Anderson’s defensive energy isn’t enough to push him ahead of more valuable young pieces.
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