The greatest sixth man from each NBA team

Greatest sixth man in New Orleans Pelicans history: Ryan Anderson

Stan Van Gundy, while head coach of the Orlando Magic, anticipated the modern NBA perfectly in forming a 4-out roster around All-NBA center Dwight Howard. While Rashard Lewis was the most well-known stretch-4 on that roster another tall sniper was developed in Orlando, much to the benefit of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ryan Anderson became a full-time starter by his last season in Orlando, but in New Orleans he found himself on the same team as rookie top overall pick Anthony Davis, ready to develop into a superstar himself. Thus Anderson was deployed off the bench and there he stayed for the Hornets and later Pelicans, a role he thrived in.

By his final season in New Orleans, Anderson was the fully formed version of what many teams around the league coveted, a long-range shooter with big man size. Over four seasons in the Big Easy, he played in 230 games, starting just 48, and averaged 16.1 points per game.

The role he filled as an offensively-minded stretch-4 was perfect to pair with Davis, but Anderson’s inability to stay healthy made the combination unreliable. If he and Davis were both available the Pelicans could have pushed for even higher heights offensively.