Do The San Antonio Spurs Need Kyle Anderson To Shoot More Threes?
By Simon Shortt
San Antonio Spurs forward Kyle Anderson has yet to develop a three-point jumper in his short time in the league, but this is not necessarily something the team needs from him. Not yet anyway.
When the San Antonio Spurs drafted Kyle Anderson in 2014, they knew they were getting a player who could do it all. What they weren’t sure of though, was which skills would translate and shine in the NBA game.
To this point, it is surprisingly Anderson’s defense where he makes his mark. With his height (6’9″) and wingspan (7’2″), he is able to switch assignments and do well in Gregg Popovich’s schemes.
He’s also showing some of those passing abilities we saw at UCLA, though nothing to the tune of his 6.5 assists per game from his sophomore year, because he is not the primary ball handler. But the same instincts and skills that got him those numbers have translated to him moving the ball well.
What has not translated so far is his scoring. At UCLA he was comfortable taking 10-11 shots per game, including one or two threes, and doing so confidently. He netted averages of 48 percent on both shots his final year as a Bruin. But as a Spur he is more reluctant to shoot, taking only three shots per game this year — less than one of those being from downtown.
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Why the hesitancy, especially from a guy who improved his shooting between years one and two in college? Now in his third year in the NBA, he should be used to the long range shot right?
Maybe not. And the truth is, he might have never been comfortable with it even in college. This year he went 15-for-40 from deep in 14.2 minutes per game. The year he shot 48 percent from three at UCLA, he was 28-for-58 in 33.2 MPG. On a per-minute basis, he’s actually shooting more threes now.
So why so little improvement on the shot at this level? It’s not for a lack of a teacher, with San Antonio having Chip Engelland a.k.a. “The Shot Doctor” on staff. Maybe the simple truth is the Spurs just don’t need Anderson to shoot threes. They do already have better shooters in bigger roles.
But what about down the road? Manu Ginobili and Patty Mills are both free agents this summer. Those two are the team’s regular backup guards and they are two of the team’s top three-point shooters. Anderson may need to step up in the near future when it comes to three-point shooting, unless a few other young bucks step up.
The Jonathon Simmons Effect
Right now Jonathon Simmons and Anderson are sharing backup wing duties. There are two factors in regards to Simmons that will directly affect Anderson’s need to shoot.
- Simmons re-signs with the team
- He improves his own shooting percentages
Like Ginobili and Mills, Simmons is a free agent this summer. As we’ve seen in recent years, wing restricted free agents can attract big contracts, wo the Spurs may have to pony up to hold on to their diamond in the rough.
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Looking at his shooting numbers, he’s not really any better than Anderson at the moment. But Simmons’ willingness to at least take threes bodes well for his future ability to make them. He shot 102 long balls this season despite only making 30 of them. His confidence in the shot comes through in not only the volume, but the form with which he shoots it.
When “The Juice” takes a jumper, he looks confident. His body is angled and his shoulders are back. Anderson, on the other hand, always has his shoulders hunched, often causing his shot to be short. Both players also have a slow release, but in different ways.
Anderson’s whole shot is slow from the catch all the way to the release point. Simmons, on the other hand, is just slow getting into the shot. He dips the ball below his waist on the catch, making his shot just a second longer than it ought to be. This summer, removing that dip should be on his agenda and it should help his shooting numbers.
If Simmons is back on the team next year and he works out his technique slightly, it would take the pressure off Anderson to become a knockdown shooter.
Davis Bertans
With all of the hype around stretch-4s in today’s game, some may have seen Anderson potentially filling that role in the future. With his frame and playmaking, there’s no reason the San Antonio Spurs couldn’t go small with him at the 4. This idea would have been a motivator for him to work on the three. It’s not really a stretch-4 if you can’t shoot from the outside. Otherwise he’s just another guy clogging the lanes for Kawhi Leonard.
That’s where Davis Bertans comes in. Bertans was the other draftee traded along with Leonard for George Hill back in 2011. In his first year in the NBA, he showed why the Spurs wanted him in the second round. In just 12 minutes of action per night, the Latvian forward was good for 4.5 points and one three-pointer. He went 69-for-173 on the season for 39.9 percent shooting from deep.
With Bertans stepping into the rotation this year and LaMarcus Aldridge still around, Anderson won’t be needed consistently at the 4 anytime soon. As long as Bertans is in town and continues to improve defensively, he will see minutes moving forward — eliminating the need for Kyle Anderson, Certified Stretch-4.
Bryn Forbes
Bryn Forbes is a bit of a mystery when it comes to answering this question. Undrafted out of Michigan State, Forbes signed on with San Antonio as a three-point marksman. While he only saw spot minutes in Pop’s lineups, he did get good time in the D-League. In 19 games with the Austin Spurs, Forbes played 35.5 MPG and hit 45.9 percent of his threes.
Forbes knows his key to staying in the league is hitting jumpers, and he has no issues putting them up. In those 19 games he took 122 (over six per game) and in just 36 NBA games (7.9 MPG) he took 53.
There’s no question Forbes can shoot the ball. The question is how long will he stick around? As a natural shooting guard at 6’3″ with just a 6’5″ wingspan, he doesn’t have a lot of size, which raises questions of who can he guard? Even pairing him with Dejounte Murray (6’5″ with 6’9″ wingspan), who can play point guard on offense but guard shooting guards, is still concerning.
So far Forbes hasn’t shown the blazing speed of a Patty Mills, who can use quickness to make up for his lack of size. Forbes will have to continuously work to become a good defensive player if he wants to stick with the team and contribute. If he does, the Spurs have even more reason to not worry about Anderson’s shooting numbers.
The Turning Point
This summer, like the last, will pose a ton of questions for the San Antonio Spurs, starting with: “Will Ginobili, Mills and Simmons be in a Spurs uniform next season?”
Hopefully they have a good idea about that before going into the draft, where they could find another guard to provide some insurance. Then, they will have until Aug. 1 to determine if Forbes will be on the team or not. All of these things will play into the timeline in which Anderson needs to work on his jumper.
Obviously, the three-pointer is something Anderson should look to improve whether the Spurs need him to do it or not. But considering he is going into the final year of his rookie deal in 2017-18, the 23-year-old forward will want to know exactly what he needs to do to get his pay day.
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There’s a pretty good chance he won’t be counted on for threes night in and night out, but he may want to show a little more improvement going into his contract negotiations.