Anderson Making a Name for Himself
By Dan Savage
October 7, 2009
Orlando – Right now, Ryan Anderson is far from a household name in Orlando.
In fact, he’s often an overlooked piece of the trade that brought Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets to the Magic.
But if he continues to play to his potential, he will quickly become more than a footnote on a deal that brought an eight-time All-Star to his home state.
Anderson already started to get the Amway Arena crowd chanting his name as he posted a team-high 16 points off the bench in the Magic’s 90-86 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
“I was happy for him to come out and play like he did tonight,” Carter said of Anderson’s solid performance in the Magic’s preseason home opener. “I think he did a lot of good things tonight.”
The 6’10” forward out of California instantly demonstrated his versatility and ability to stretch the floor. Along with playing at both the three and the four, Anderson went a torrid 4-for-6 from downtown.
“That’s what we got him for, to shoot threes and be a hard-nosed defender,” All-Star center Dwight Howard said of his new teammate. “He did a great job tonight; hopefully he can keep it up.”
But Anderson didn’t limit himself to the long ball and defensive intensity. He also put on display what many consider to be his best attribute, his offensive rebounding.
Anderson grabbed five rebounds overall, two offensive, in just over 24 minutes of action.
“You have to respect the way he rebounds the ball,” Carter explained of Anderson’s attitude at attacking the glass. “He’s just relentless.”
His new head coach agreed.
“I thought Ryan rebounded the ball very well on top of the way he played offensively,” Stan Van Gundy said at his postgame press conference. “I thought (he) did a very good job.”
However, the modest Anderson believes he still has a lot to learn.
“I think there are a lot of things I need to work on,” he admitted after the game. “There are a lot of things I’m adjusting to still.”
While it may be too soon to anoint him the next Rashard Lewis or Dirk Nowitzki, two All-Star players with whom he shares similar skill sets, one of his teammates has already deemed him the second coming of a former Magic player.
“I call him the new Pat Garrity,” Howard told the media after the game. “He plays just like him, he shoots threes like him, he’s hard-nosed, he battles in the paint and he can drive and finish. So I’ll say he’s a new school Pat Garrity.”
Just wait though, because it won’t be long before Ryan Anderson makes a name for himself.
By Dan SavageOctober 7, 2009
Orlando – Right now, Ryan Anderson is far from a household name in Orlando.
In fact, he’s often an overlooked piece of the trade that brought Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets to the Magic.
But if he continues to play to his potential, he will quickly become more than a footnote on a deal that brought an eight-time All-Star to his home state.
Anderson already started to get the Amway Arena crowd chanting his name as he posted a team-high 16 points off the bench in the Magic’s 90-86 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
“I was happy for him to come out and play like he did tonight,” Carter said of Anderson’s solid performance in the Magic’s preseason home opener. “I think he did a lot of good things tonight.”
The 6’10” forward out of California instantly demonstrated his versatility and ability to stretch the floor. Along with playing at both the three and the four, Anderson went a torrid 4-for-6 from downtown.
“That’s what we got him for, to shoot threes and be a hard-nosed defender,” All-Star center Dwight Howard said of his new teammate. “He did a great job tonight; hopefully he can keep it up.”
But Anderson didn’t limit himself to the long ball and defensive intensity. He also put on display what many consider to be his best attribute, his offensive rebounding.
Anderson grabbed five rebounds overall, two offensive, in just over 24 minutes of action.
“You have to respect the way he rebounds the ball,” Carter explained of Anderson’s attitude at attacking the glass. “He’s just relentless.”
His new head coach agreed.
“I thought Ryan rebounded the ball very well on top of the way he played offensively,” Stan Van Gundy said at his postgame press conference. “I thought (he) did a very good job.”
However, the modest Anderson believes he still has a lot to learn.
“I think there are a lot of things I need to work on,” he admitted after the game. “There are a lot of things I’m adjusting to still.”
While it may be too soon to anoint him the next Rashard Lewis or Dirk Nowitzki, two All-Star players with whom he shares similar skill sets, one of his teammates has already deemed him the second coming of a former Magic player.
“I call him the new Pat Garrity,” Howard told the media after the game. “He plays just like him, he shoots threes like him, he’s hard-nosed, he battles in the paint and he can drive and finish. So I’ll say he’s a new school Pat Garrity.”
Just wait though, because it won’t be long before Ryan Anderson makes a name for himself.
