Justin Anderson could become a small-ball four for the Philadelphia 76ers
Justin Anderson has been used as a gritty wing defender thus far in his career, however if he puts in the work this offseason, he could expand his role.
Draymond Green revolutionized the NBA when he became the starting small-ball four for the Golden State Warriors. Green’s ability to guard all five positions and still be an effective 3-point shooter has allowed the Warriors to be as dominant as they have been these past few seasons.
Now the Philadelphia 76ers look to change the game with their four young players in Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Dario Saric and Markelle Fultz. As great as these players are, they are still young and the Sixers need to further improve in order to get past their Eastern Conference rival, the Boston Celtics.
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Justin Anderson could be the answer. While Anderson wasn’t the best defender the Sixers had this past season, he was the grittiest one the Sixers had. Anderson will do whatever is necessary on defense if it helps the team. That’s why this summer, he needs to train with Green and try to emulate his game going forward. If Anderson can transition to a small-ball four role and play similar enough to Green, then it would open up new avenues for the Sixers moving forward.
This isn’t the first time The Sixer Sense has introduced the idea of Anderson playing power forward. In the past, Christopher Kline Co-Site Expert of The Sixer Sense wrote about how Anderson’s strength and athleticism would help thrive at the position. While those aspects are true, Anderson’s game still needs considerable improvement before he can make a similar impact like Green has made on the Warriors.
There are some similarities between the two players games when the per 36 stats each of their first three seasons are compared.
| Rk | Player | From | To | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Anderson | 2016 | 2018 | 168 | 19 | 2394 | .422 | .300 | .528 | .784 | 7.1 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 14.7 |
| 2 | Draymond Green | 2013 | 2015 | 240 | 92 | 5348 | .412 | .321 | .467 | .685 | 8.9 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 4.3 | 11.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/4/2018.
The only areas that Justin Anderson would need to drastically improve upon is his rebounding, playingmaking and shot blocking.
Good thing for Anderson is that the Sixers don’t need him to become a playmaker, which would be the hardest skill to improve upon. The 76ers already have three very good playmakers in Simmons, Fultz and T.J. McConnell. It is unlikely that at least one of them won’t be on the floor at any given time. However, if he decided to work on that this summer, it would help improve his and his teammates offensive games going into next season.
Anderson does have the potential to become a better rebounder. Anderson had six games this season where he had at least five rebounds. That stat may sound bad, however he only played in 38 games and in those game he only averaged 13.7 minutes. If given more playing time and more minutes, then Anderson’s rebounding total should increase.
Sixers fans should know that Anderson can be a shot blocker. Beyond his 6-foot-11.75 wingspan, Anderson has put on shot blocking clinics before. Anderson had three blocks in a preseason game against the Boston Celtics.
While Anderson certainly does have the potential for being a good small-ball rim protector, he still has a long way to becoming one. His 0.2 blocks per game is not an encouraging sign, however his physicality should help make up for any lack of shot blocking skill.
This past regular season the Sixers played Anderson 17 percent of the time at power forward, a career high for him. If he can improve in those three areas, then playing him more times as the team’s small-ball four will become even easier. Anderson shot a career high from 3-point land this past regular season and if he improves that this offseason as well, then he will become a very important player off the bench for the Sixers.
Next: Sixers draft profile: Chandler Hutchison
Having Justin Anderson become a small-ball four will benefit his career and the Philadelphia 76ers chances of advancing deeper into the playoffs. If he can mimic Green’s game, then Anderson would be able to guard even more positions and create havoc on both offense and defense. Depending on how much and what he develops into will have an impact on the Sixers future.