Sixers forward Justin Anderson reshaping his positioning?

With the Sixers coming into the season clogged at the power forward position, one player could be reshaping his game to increase his potential minutes.

Justin Anderson came in as the centerpiece of the hotly debated Nerlens Noel trade. The Sixers were hoping to unlock the potential of the former Third-Team All American, so he could become versatile force off the bench.

His tame debut in the second half of last season may have watered down the expectations of Anderson, especially with the return of Ben Simmons, Dario Saric becoming an offensive force, and the signing of Amir Johnson. Anderson excelled at the power forward position last year, using his length and size to play what could be considered formidable defense at times.

But he was slow-footed laterally compared to most of the small forwards. This restricted the way Brett Brown would utilize him in lineups. Anderson’s offensive game has lacked in many facets, primarily with jump shooting. In today’s game, the outside shot is vital for combo forwards such as Justin Anderson, but the hope for the Sixers will lie in his defensive energy.

It has looked as though Anderson reshaped his body type to rework his role. According to his Instagram post, the forward has cut down 15 pounds.

The Sixers lack depth, largely at the small forward position. After Robert Covington, Philadelphia hardly has any formidable wing replacement. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Furkan Korkmaz will likely get minutes after Ben Simmons gets his time at the “small forward” position, but there are huge defensive questions with all those names at that position.

A slimmed down Anderson could be trying to solidify his role as a true backup forward. His length along the wing defensively will be a huge contributor to a team that is missing major perimeter defenders along the wing. If you step back and look at the construction of the roster, the only way for Anderson to stay relevant is to become a defensive pest on the wing, using his high energy to keep up in Brett Brown’s offense.

Next: 3 Sixers who must step up

The Sixers will come into the season as a favorite to land a mid to bottom seed in the Eastern Conference, but for them to push to their ceiling, they must maximize the roles of all their bench players. Justin Anderson took the first step in doing so with cutting weight. Now the next step is having his game reshaped into the defensive small forward he can be.