Philadelphia 76ers: Justin Anderson inching into the Sixers rotation
On February 12th, Philadelphia 76ers wingman Justin Anderson rolled his ankle against the New York Knicks. Is he back in the rotation?
This season, two injuries paired with DNP’s left Justin Anderson short of the regular rotation. The former Virginia Cavalier saw the floor in a mere 31 of the Philadelphia 76ers 70 games thus far this season.
Nonetheless, over the past three games, Anderson logged 23, 20 and 14 minutes apiece. All three totals sit above his current season average of minutes per game.
Because Anderson saw regular minutes again this late in the season, it’s fair to assume coach Brett Brown may try to force Anderson back into the regular rotation just in time for the postseason.
Here’s why this is a brilliant idea.
Turnovers
Excessive turnovers have plagued the Sixers this season. Currently, the Sixers average 16.9 turnovers per game, the highest in the NBA.
Although it’s hard to pinpoint a culprit for the turnover onslaught, it’s clear that Anderson is not part of the problem.
Anderson averages a mere 0.4 turnovers per game. His ratio is the lowest among Sixers players who played at least seven games this season.
The style that Anderson plays with makes his low turnover numbers even more impressive.
Anderson plays with springs under his feet. The 6-foot-6 wingman is comfortable in attack mode, slashing to the rim or pulling up from distance with confidence. At times, Anderson looks like a seasoned version of lefty-counterpart and former Sixers guard Tony Wroten, void of Wroten’s turnover issues and equipped with a much better jumper.
Anderson plays actively, not passively. That mindset paired with low-turnovers is a best-of-both-worlds scenario for a young Sixers squad.
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Presence despite absence
Injuries struck Anderson hard on two separate occasions this season: shin splints in November and a rolled ankle in February.
Both injuries caused Anderson to miss significant time. Anderson even left the active roster for some time this season.
In spite of a large absence, Brown and his coaching staff had the confidence to play Anderson significant reserve minutes recently in the thick of a playoff run.
Because the Sixers operate cautiously with players coming off injuries in recent history (see: Markelle Fultz), Anderson’s eventual insertion back onto the court is a great sign. The third-year shooting guard must have kept a large locker-room presence and maintained exemplary effort in practice to earn playing time so late in the season.
A player with that type of trust rightfully belongs in the rotation come do-or-die playoff basketball.
Youth
Coming into the season, the Sixers owned one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. However, the acquisitions of veterans Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli recently balanced the age composition of the Sixers roster.
Anderson, in his third season, is much younger than both Ilyasova and Belinelli, who are in their ninth and tenth seasons respectively.
Both vets anchor the Sixers’ second unit in a calm, collected manner. Ilyasova and Belinelli maintain a level-headed energy when on the floor in lieu of emotional bursts.
It makes sense to inject a youthful spark like Anderson into the Sixers’ second unit. A perfect example of Anderson’s spark came early in last nights victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
In front of a diluted, snowstorm-ravaged crowd and against a struggling/uncommon opponent, Anderson never lost his spark. After Robert Covington sailed in for an early basket, Anderson appeared to be the first the spring up and inch down the baseline to give Covington a congratulatory slap.
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Second units typically operate in the lulling shadows of the starters. Therefore, this youthful energy is something sought after in second units.
With new faces and uncharted territory ahead, it’s understandable why the Sixers’ rotation has been in flux.
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Hopefully, Justin Anderson finds his way back into the conversation as the regular season concludes and the rotation solidifies.