Houston Rockets: How Ryan Anderson has managed to heat up
After failing to average double figures over the past two months, Ryan Anderson has managed to find the hot hand for the Houston Rockets.
Two weeks ago, Ryan Anderson of the Houston Rockets appeared to be on the verge of losing his spot in the starting lineup.
The 6’10” power forward, who is considered as one of the most reliable stretch-4s in basketball, failed to generate any success in the month of January, averaging a mere 8.7 points per game on 32.8 percent shooting from downtown.
The man who was once regarded as the ultimate pick-and-pop threat alongside Chris Paul managed to log just over four minutes of playing time in the second half of Clutch City’s outing against the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 26. After taking only three shots from the field, his inability to find his rhythm — combined with his below-average defense — made many Rockets fans wonder if the 10th-year veteran might ever find his full footing in 2018.
Now, Anderson’s woes appear to have fallen completely by the wayside, as the 2012 NBA Most Improved Player has rediscovered his shooting touch.
Over the last five games, Anderson has averaged 11.4 points per game for Houston — shooting 48 percent from the field and beyond the arc, en route to helping the Rockets hit their stride.
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The former California standout recently discussed what has led to his recent turnaround with Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
"“I don’t feel any different than I did before,” Anderson said following the Rockets’ 120-88 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.“Just, some shots are falling. We’re really in a really good rhythm right now. We’re getting each other really good shots. We’re playing at a high level. Obviously, that helps me when we’re getting stops and getting out in transition and getting open looks, rather than slowing the game down, getting in the halfcourt and going one-on-one when we might not distribute the ball as well.”"
Despite seeing a major dip in his shooting attempts and 3-point percentage this season, Anderson could not have found a better time to catch fire from long range for the Rockets. They will now seek to call upon his hot hand as often as possible, especially with small forward Trevor Ariza (strained hamstring) and shooting guard Eric Gordon (lower back stiffness) currently sidelined.
Since going scoreless in his return to the Big Easy, Anderson has scored in double figures in four consecutive games — his longest streak since late November. He’s also shot 52.1 percent from long range during that time span. The 29-year-old appears to be on pace to play his best stretch of basketball in February should he continue to knock down shots and throw down occasional two-handed jams.
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"“He’s just being active,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni told Feigen. “I want him to shoot even more…He needs to go ahead and load them up. But he’ll get there.”"
Next: 2018 NBA Draft big board: End of January
Houston will look to capture its ninth win in the last 10 games, as it prepares to square off against Spencer Dinwiddie and the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night at the Barclays Center.