This is the 10th installment of our daily Nets player-by-player breakdown, with an emphasis on what’s to come for next season.
ALAN ANDERSON, GUARD/FORWARD
Alan Anderson
#6 SF
Brooklyn Nets
2014 STATS
- GM78
PPG7.2
RPG2.2
APG1.0
FG%.400
- FT%.780
Year in review: Anderson became a valuable sub and one of the team’s best defenders for Jason Kidd in his first season in Brooklyn. The 6-6 guard/forward provided his gritty defense and hard-nosed attitude while providing some timely outside shooting. Anderson set career-highs with 78 games played and 26 starts. He averaged 7.2 points and shot 40% in 22.7 minutes a game.
Anderson’s best moments of the season came in the first round against Toronto. He nearly helped the Nets complete a stunning comeback in Game 5 with 13 points and three three-pointers. Kidd opted to put Anderson in the starting lineup to provide defense on DeMar DeRozan and some outside shooting for Games 6 and 7 and the move helped the Nets overcome a 3-2 deficit to win the series and advance.
Role moving forward: If Anderson returns, he will continue to play the same role which is as one of the team’s best defenders and a valued key member of Kidd’s rotation with the ability to start if needed.
Contract status: Anderson will make $1.063 million next season but has a player option.
What they’re saying:
“It was just a feeling,” Kidd explained of starting Anderson over Livingston in Game 6. “With Alan, we’ve asked him to do everything. It’s nothing Shaun hasn’t done for us. It was more of a feeling from the coaching staff, let’s give Alan, the way he played that fourth quarter in Toronto [in Game 5], to see if it can carry over. And he definitely picked up where he was in Toronto –- rebounding the ball, we’re asking him to guard [DeMar] DeRozan, and he had some great looks that he normally feels he can make. That is why we went with him.”
Should they bring him back? Yes. The Nets, though, are cap strapped so they would only want to bring Anderson back on the cheap. However, he offers value to the team because he is a defensive specialist who is fearless and can hit the occasional outside shot. He brings a gritty mentality and the Nets would like to have him back.